When Jesus heard this, he told them, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.” Mark 2:17 (NLT)
I hate being sick. I guess every body probably does. Right? Well recently, I got sick. I had a terrible cough and ear ache. The ear ache pushed me to go to the walk-in clinic. After I checked in and sat down, a couple came through the door. The woman walked to the counter and signed in. Her husband started to move toward the section of chairs where I was sitting.
She said “Frank, don’t sit there. Sit over there.” and she pointed to a section of chairs in a different part of the room. After they sat down, I heard him say “Why do you want to sit over here?” “Because she’s coughing.” she replied.
Now granted, I was coughing. And I know people don’t want to get sick. But the way she said it made me feel like I was doing something wrong. I started thinking to myself “Aren’t we in a clinic? Aren’t people supposed to come here that are sick? And maybe even coughing?”
Then, I remembered what Jesus said in today’s verse. My mind wandered to our churches and how we make people feel like this lady made me feel. We treat people who come in with problems or sins like they shouldn’t be there or like we can’t hang out with them because well, they are sinning.
Jesus said we are all sinners. We all need him. The problem is in that some people think they are righteous, they think they don’t need him. They think they are fine. They are thinking wrong. We all are sick. We all sin. We all desperately need Jesus.
As I thought through all this I looked up at the woman and smiled. I was in the right place. I knew where I needed to be. I needed to be in the clinic getting help for my cough and ear ache and my heart needed to sit at the feet of Jesus so I could love everyone….even the people who make me feel like I don’t belong.