jonathanfwoodall
  • welcome
  • about me
  • blog
  • sermons
  • welcome
  • about me
  • blog
  • sermons

Jesus' take on Preventative Care

7/12/2016

0 Comments

 
Picture
In what will be an ongoing battle with the Pharisees and other teachers of the law, Jesus makes a statement about, well, healthcare.  Jesus responds to a question about why he eats and drinks with “such scum” by declaring, 

“Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do.”  (Luke 5:31) 

Well, now, time out Jesus!  I have been told that preventative medicine is the way to go.  I mean, after all, we need to have our yearly check-ups and we need to periodically come to understand the condition of our health so that we can adjust things, like diet and exercise, as we age and go through life.  But it seems like Jesus just avoids any discussion of preventative medicine in his declaration.  This is, until we read the next line.  

Luke 5:32 I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners and need to repent.”

Ohhhhhh!! Now we have something - don’t we.  What does the word “healthy” mean, Jesus?  If that time was anything like this time, then healthy is a comparison game.  Well, I’m not as heavy as he is… I’m not in a wheelchair like that one friend I know… It’s sad that she can’t take care of herself… and we make a list of persons who are more unhealthy than we are, and so we look healthy!  

And that describes the Pharisees and teachers’ approach to everything spiritual.  Thus, they didn’t need a doctor or a savior, because they were healthy!  Jesus, however, knowing that they hadn’t been in for their spiritual check-ups and had no idea the reality of their spiritual condition does not try to convince them of their unrighteousness.  Jesus simply asserts that he goes to dine with “scum” because they need cleaned up, and they know it!  

The Pharisees are the “poster children” for spiritual preventative care.  Do you know anyone who “thinks they are righteous” and no longer needs to practice preventative care?  Are you one of those people?  Notice that Jesus doesn’t call those people, but those who know they are spiritually sick without him!  Here is a preventative appointment you need to make and some questions to ask of yourself: 
  • What sin do I have in my life that hinders my relationship with God?
  • What passages in God’s Word do I find difficult to understand and live out? 
  • What do I believe God is asking me to do for Him that is hard for me? 
  • Do I consider myself “active” in my church community? 
  • Do I love my neighbors and family the way God asks me to love? 
  • Who do I serve on a regular basis? 
  • Am I growing in thankfulness and gratitude for God’s influence on my life? 

Remember: “Examine yourselves to see if your faith is genuine. Test yourselves. Surely you know that Jesus Christ is among you; if not, you have failed the test of genuine faith.”  (2 Corinthian 13:5) 
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    jonathan's jots

    I want to share thoughts, insights, and scriptures that lead us in the direction of Christ.  

    Archives

    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    November 2015
    October 2015
    August 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    October 2014
    March 2014
    January 2014
    November 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013

    Categories

    All
    Acceptance
    Action
    Acts
    Advent
    America
    Application
    Autumn
    Baptism
    Belief
    Betrayal
    Bible
    Blog Tour 2017
    Blog Tour 2018
    Brokenness
    Character Of God
    Christ And Culture
    Christian Art
    Christianity
    Christian Love
    Christian Marriage
    Christmas
    Church
    Civil Rights
    College Ministry
    Colossians
    Community
    Conflict
    Consequences Of Sin
    Covenant
    Creation
    Creativity
    Cross
    Current Events
    Darkness
    Dehumanizing
    Discipleship
    Do Not Fear
    Earth
    Emerging Adulthood
    Endurance
    Eschatology
    Esther
    Evangelism
    Evil
    Excuses
    Expectations
    Failure
    Faith
    Faithfulness
    Father
    Forgiveness
    Freedom
    Generations
    Genesis
    Gentiles
    Glory
    God
    God's Presence
    Good Friday
    Gospel
    Grace
    Healing
    Heaven
    Hebrews
    Holy Spirit
    Holy Week
    Honor
    Hope
    Hosea
    Hymns
    Identity
    Individualism
    Interpretation
    Intimacy
    Isaiah
    Israel
    Jeremiah
    Jesus
    Jesus Christ
    Job
    John
    Joshua
    Joy
    Judas
    Judgment
    Kingdom
    Leadership
    Legacy
    Lessons From Children
    Light
    Love
    Luke
    Mark
    Marriage And Family
    Matthew
    Maturity
    Media And College
    Memorial Day
    Ministry
    Mission
    MLK
    Money
    Music
    Narrative
    New Testament
    New Testament World
    Old Testament
    Parable
    Passion
    Paul
    Personalities
    Philippians
    Politics
    Post-Christian
    Poverty
    Prayer
    Promise
    Prophecy
    Proverbs
    Psalms
    Reconciliation
    Relationships
    Remembering
    Remembrance
    Revelation
    Rochester College
    Romans
    Sacred Space
    Salvation
    Satan
    Seeking
    Self Love
    Self-love
    Service
    Sexuality
    Sexual Practices
    Shame
    Silence
    Sin
    Songs
    Spiritual Formation
    Spiritual Formation
    Story
    Struggle
    Suffering
    Temple
    Theology
    Throne
    Tragedy
    Transformation
    Treasure
    Tribes
    Trust
    Vision
    Visual
    Voting
    Wisdom
    Word
    Work
    Works And Faith
    Worship
    Wrath
    Yahweh

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.