Luke 5:31-32 - Remembering our place
Scripture:
Luke 5:31-32
31 And Jesus answered and said to them, "It is not those who are well who need a physician, but those who are sick.
32 "I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance."
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Thoughts:
These words of Jesus are familiar, and as a result can lose their potency for us!
Jesus spoke these to the Jewish religious leaders questioning why He was associating with those considered to be some of the worst of sinners. The point we quickly take away is that Jesus was with these reputed sinners, because they needed His healing (e.g. forgiveness).
But considering it further, Jesus knew that the religious leaders were no different than the tax collectors. Neither was truly righteous, because God alone is righteous as the scripture says of mankind:
Romans 3:10"THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE;
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As a Christian, having been saved by Christ, we so easily forget that we too are unrighteous apart from His gift. We, like the Jewish leaders Jesus answered, can begin to look down at others and consider ourselves "righteous" and them "sinners."
We can even forget that we were ever changed by God. Confusing how we are today with our sins crucified on Jesus' cross, with how we were apart from Christ. We forget from where we've been rescued.
Prayer:
Lord, thank You that You've come into my life and saved me. That my life no longer consists merely of the here and now, but now I have a relationship with You, and You give my life eternal significance as I follow You. Thank You that my sins are forgiven!
Forgive me though, for forgetting where I've come from. Forgetting that I too was once a slave to my desires like those around me. Give me compassion for those still ensnared, and may I help some come to know the freedom that You give to those who receive You.
Amen
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