The Sin Sick Heart (Luke 5:31)

And Jesus answered and said to them, " It is not those who are well who need a physician, but those who are sick. (Luke 5:31 NASB)

Last night, I had already snuggled into my warm bed when a dear friend called. It was obvious from the description of the ongoing chest pain that a heart attack was in progress. Yesterday morning, he was running errands, doing a little paperwork, eating a ham sandwich at a country store. He was going about his life without a thought in the world to the latest advances in medical treatment. 

At 9:20 pm, his interests completely changed. When that pain whammed into his chest, he wanted a doctor and he desperately wanted that doctor as fast as possible. I don't recommend this, but he drove himself as fast as he could go to the ER. Getting to a cardiologist was his highest priority, and rightly so. A cardiologist was the only one who could help him. In the ER, intravenous nitroglycerin and morphine finally eased his pain, but it wasn't until the cardiologist took him to the cath lab, removed the clot blocking his artery, and inserted a stent that the problem was adequately addressed. He didn't really want a doctor when he thought he was well, but he surely did when he realized he was sick. 

Priorities and desires can turn in an instant, can't they?  The thing we care about the least can suddenly be the thing we care about the most. That's the difference between a person who thinks they are well and one who knows they are sick. The one who recognizes their illness becomes very concerned about regaining their health. 

It's the same way with our spiritual hearts. Until we recognize our need, we don't worry much about healing it. That was the problem with the scribes and Pharisees. They were sinners in desperate need of a savior, but didn't know it. What made Matthew different was that he knew he was a sinner and he knew he needed a Savior. When Jesus showed up, Matthew grabbed on for dear life and was not about to let go. Those people at Matthew's party were the same way. Jesus had something they needed, and they were making friends with the only One who could provide it. It's how we all come to Jesus. We see our need and reach out to the only One who can meet that need. 

Pray today that we and our loved ones will be acutely aware of our sin-sick state and will be satisfied with nothing less than the direct intervention of the Great Physician. Pray for healing of sin sickened hearts