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

The Flabbergasted Heart, part 2

And He came down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and He was teaching them on the Sabbath; and they were amazed at His teaching, for His message was with authority. (Luke 4:31, 32 NASB)

As I was reading Luke 4 again this morning, I noticed something I had missed. The people in Capernaum had gone to the synagogue on the Sabbath, just like always. The readers had read and the pray-ers had prayed, just like always. The one designated to teach taught just like always. What wasn't  "just like always" was that the teacher that day was Jesus. He spoke as if He had a clear word from God. Of course, that was because He IS God. When He taught, He spoke with such authority and clarity that it is no wonder the people in Capernaum were flabbergasted. What is surprising is that the people in Nazareth were not. 

There were two responses to the Messiah and His authority but only one led to eternal life. Today, pray that God will send someone with a clear understanding of Scripture to our loved ones and that they will share truth with the clarity that comes from living truth. Pray that our loved ones will respond with the understand and acceptance that leads to eternal life. 

The heart revealed

and they rose up and cast Him out of the city, and led Him to the brow of the hill on which their city had been built, in order to throw Him down the cliff. But passing through their midst, He went His way. (Luke 4:29, 30 NASB)

We saw the angry crowd yesterday, but here we see their anger progressing to murderous rage. What is amazing to me is that they were in church when their anger progressed to murderous rage!! You may remember that the synagogue was a local gathering place where the men met to pray corporately and study the Scripture. It's hard to imagine taking that step toward murder while praying or studying Scripture, but that's how it happened. They clearly didn't have their minds focused on the business at hand!

The men chased Jesus out of the city and to the edge of a hill, planning to shove Him down. With all the pushing and shoving, Jesus managed to quietly move through their midst and walk away. He was right from the beginning. No miracles would happen in Nazareth.

The people in the synagogue looked like they belonged there. They had done everything that outwardly indicated they were godly. They were in the synagogue at the appropriate time and they participated in prayer and studying the Scripture just as if they meant it. Their hearts, however, were not fixed on God at all. When Jesus confronted them, they quickly revealed their hearts that were full of pride, greed, anger, and murder. Yuck. What an ungodly mess!

The question for us is what would our hearts reveal if Jesus confronted us in church today? Are our hearts focused on Christ or our own desires? Do we listen to the Scripture and teaching or just sit quietly while we compose to-do lists in our heads?

Pray today that we and our loved ones would see our hearts the way Jesus sees them and that it would trigger a desire to change.