THE SICK NEED A DOCTOR NOT THE HEALTHY

PROCLAMATION

“And when the scribes and Pharisees saw Him eating with publicans and sinners, they said unto His disciples, ‘How is it that He eateth and drinketh with publicans and sinners?’  When Jesus heard it, He saith unto them, ‘They who are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick;  I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.’ ”  Mark 2:16-17 (NIV)

EXPLANATION
These words are from the gospel, the good news regarding Jesus, The Christ, according to Mark, a companion Simon Peter. (1 Peter 5:13)  After He was baptized Jesus called His disciples saying, “Come, follow Me.” (Mark 1:16-20)  They went to Capernaum and Jesus began to teach.  The people brought many sick and demon-possessed individuals to Simon’s house and Jesus healed all of them. (Mark 1:29-34)  Then He travelled throughout Galilee, preaching, healing the sick, and driving out demons. (Mark 1:39)  A few days later Jesus returned to Capernaum and a large crowd gathered outside the home where He was staying.  Four men brought a paralyzed man to Jesus, but they could not get to Him because of the crowd.  So, they lowered the man down on a mat through a hole in the roof of the house and Jesus healed him. (Mark 2:1-12)  Jesus went out of the house and walked beside the lake.  As He walked, He saw Levi the tax collector and said to him, “Follow Me.”  Levi left the tax collector’s booth and followed Him.  They went to Levi’s house for dinner with many tax collectors.  The Pharisees saw this and questioned His behavior.  Jesus responded to them that the sick need a doctor, not the healthy. (Mark 2:13-17)  The Pharisees also questioned as to why He and his disciples did not fast, and why they plucked corn to eat on the sabbath day.  Again He answered them and ended by saying, “The Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.” (Mark 2:18-28)

APPLICATION
Jesus, The Christ, left heaven and came to earth to save us because we were all lost sinners.  There are some today who, like the Pharisees, think that they are righteous and do not need to be saved but are also lost sinners.  The lost need a savior.  The Bible says that we all have sinned (Romans 3:23) and that none of us are righteous. (Romans 3:10)  We all need Christ to save our sin sick soul.  When believers witness to other believers, we are engaged in fellowship as we encourage one another.  However, our “job” as Christians is to witness to the lost, to point them to Christ, so their soul can be saved.  We all know someone in our circle of family and friends who is lost needs to hear about Christ.  It is not our place to make them believe, we are only to tell them, to plant the seed, and to behave in such a way that they can see The Christ within us. (Matthew 5:16)  The Holy Spirit of God will add them to the church as He sees fit to do so. (Acts 2:47)