THE HEALTHY DO NOT NEED A DOCTOR

PROCLAMATION

“Jesus answered them, ‘It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.  I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.’”  Luke 5:31-32 (NIV)

 

EXPLANATION

These words are from the gospel, the good news regarding Jesus, The Christ, which were spoken by Christ according to Luke, the physician.   Jesus left his hometown and began preaching and teaching in the synagogues throughout Judea.  He healed all of the sick people who were brought to Him. (Luke 4:40-44)  One day as He was eating in the home of Levi, the tax collector, with tax collectors, some of the scribes and Pharisees saw Him.  They complained to His disciples asking, “Why do ye eat and drink with publicans and sinners?”  Jesus heard them and answered them saying, “They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick.” (Luke 5:27-32)  This occasion was also recounted in the gospel according the Matthew (Matthew 9:9-13) and in the gospel according to Mark. (Mark 2:14-17)

 

APPLICATION

Jesus, The Christ, left the splendor of heaven, came to earth, and put on human flesh to pay the price for our salvation because we were all lost sinners. (Romans 6:23, John 1:29, 1 John 2:2)  Unfortunately, some people do not know that they are sick.  They think that they are healthy and righteous, and do not need to be saved.  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, “The Great Physician”, to heal our sin-sick souls.  This “Doctor” is making individual house-calls, He is knocking on our door, but we must open the door and let Him come in if we want Him to help us. (Revelation 3:20)  Only He can cleanse us from our sins. (Psalm 51:2, 51:7, and 51:10)  He came to earth so that none would be lost, however, only those of us who believe will be saved. (John 3:16)  All non-believers, those whose name is not written in the book of life, will be lost for eternity. (Revelation 20:15)  Those who do not recognize that they need help will be lost.

THE SICK NEED A DOCTOR NOT THE HEALTHY

PROCLAMATION

“When … the Pharisees saw Him eating with the sinners and tax collectors, they asked His disciples: ‘Why does He eat with tax collectors and sinners?’  On hearing this, Jesus said to them, ‘It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.  I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.’”  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.  While He was teaching in the synagogue, Jesus healed a man who was possessed with an impure spirit. (Mark 1:21-28)  They left the synagogue they went to the home of Simon and Andrew.  When they got there, they found Simon’s mother-in-law in bed with a fever and Jesus healed her.  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. (Mark 2:13-17)

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 but are also lost sinners.  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 that is fellowship as we encourage one another.  However, our “job” is to witness to the lost, to point them to Christ, to save lost souls.  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 act in such a way that they can see Christ in us. (Matthew 5:16)  The Holy Spirit of God will add to the church as He sees fit to do so. (Acts 2:47)

AS THE SICK NEED A DOCTOR SO THE LOST NEED A SAVIOR

Proclamation:

“On hearing this, Jesus said to them, ‘It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.  I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”  Mark 2:17 (NIV)

Explanation:

These words were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by John Mark, a nephew of Barnabas and not an apostle, it is the gospel as he received it from Simon Peter.  He began this second chapter by recounting the events surrounding the healing of a paralyzed man who was lowered down to Jesus through the roof of the house where He was preaching. (Mark 2:1-12)  After Jesus left Capernaum, walking by the sea, He saw Levi, the tax collector, and said, “Follow me.”  Levi got up and followed Him, and they went to Levi’s house to eat.  While Jesus was there eating with the tax collectors and sinners, the scribes and Pharisees began to murmur and question His behavior. (Mark 2:13-16)  This is when Jesus responded that He came to earth to save the lost sinners.

Application:

In addition to teaching His disciples, Jesus spent time with sinners, teaching and preaching to them.  Today as disciples of Christ, we are to read and study The Word of God, worship, and fellowship with the saints, in order to “recharge our batteries” then we are to go out into the world and spread the gospel to the lost unbelievers.  We are to talk to them and we are to walk in such a way that they see Christ in us.  We are not to spend all of our time with those who are already saved.  We are to “talk the talk and walk the walk” and point people to Christ.  We should spend time with the lost not to enjoy their sinful activities with them but to pull them out of the mud.  We should not go to places where we are not strong enough to pull them out or to prevent them from pulling us back down into the mud.