(Audio)
"Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do.
I did not come to call the righteous but sinners."
Those who know they are sick don't recoil before the word of God, even though it is "sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating even between soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart." The word of God is the tool of a surgeon which makes us nervous unless we realize that our hearts truly need him to operate on us. We are meant for life but our hearts so often choose death in small ways. This cancer of selfishness within us can be removed by the word of God if we don't run from it and if we expose ourselves to it as much as we are able.
The surgeon has good eyes. He knows what is wrong and what must be set right even better than we are willing to admit.
No creature is concealed from him,
but everything is naked and exposed to the eyes of him
to whom we must render an account.
Tax collectors are in a better position than Pharisees to receive healing because tax collectors know they are sinners. They know that their own lives are insufficient and the recognize something deep in the words of Jesus for which they have always longed.
As he passed by, he saw Levi, son of Alphaeus,
sitting at the customs post.
Jesus said to him, "Follow me."
And he got up and followed Jesus.
We needn't worry about making Jesus unclean by inviting him in to every part of our lives. The reverse will happen. Wherever we humble ourselves and let him in he will transform us.
Recommended memory verse:
So let us confidently approach the throne of grace
to receive mercy and to find grace for timely help.
Hebrews 4:16
The word of God is the way we approach. It is the call which draws us to the throne, the Eucharist. Let us go rejoicing.
The precepts of the LORD are right,
rejoicing the heart;
No comments:
Post a Comment