But when he heard it, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick…”
Hereditary diseases travel through the genes from one generation to the next. At times, these sneaky sicknesses skip generations, causing one generation to think, “I’m glad that’s over,” only to see it in the lives of their children. This thought alone is enough to cause me as a parent to pray for health in my family.
What is health though? I once heard it said that a healthy body is not one absent of sickness, but a healthy body is one that can quickly identify and appropriately and effectively address sickness when it appears. Conversely, an unhealthy body is one that is slow to identify sickness when it tenters the body and neither appropriately or effectively addresses it. This is true for the physical body as well as for organizations.
This definition gives a new perspective to two things. First, is it helps us understand the role of a physician: the role of a physician is to help the body quickly identify sickness and to appropriately and effectively deal with it. Second, we see how to live in the presence of sin in the tension between the present reality and the future promise.
As believers, we know that in the future one day, there will be no more sickness (Revelation 21:5). We also know that the future-promised work of Jesus is ours to have here and now. We live in the present and yet-to-come Kingdom (Matthew 3:2). We know that we should have victory over sin, but it still trips us up. We know that we are forgiven, but the sickness of sin seems to creep back in.
A healthy Christian isn’t one rid of sin (that will come in Heaven), but a healthy Christian is one that quickly identifies the sickness of sin in their life and appropriately and effectively addresses it. The help that we need comes from Jesus Christ, the Great Physician whose job is to help us be a healthy person who identifies and addresses sin quickly and effectively.
There are sins in our life that are fruit, and that fruit always starts at a root. Getting rid of the fruit is good, and lifetime without that fruit is possible. The Great Physician wants to help us to identify and address the root quickly, appropriately, and effectively.
Today, take a step.
Maybe today the one step God wants you to take is to stop beating yourself up for not being perfect and start receiving the truth that you can walk in health in an imperfect flesh. Perhaps God wants you to step into health and stop ignoring the sin that is destroying your life. Maybe God wants to heal you this side of heaven. Perhaps the Great Physician wants to work today.
Whatever the step, ask God to direct it. Take a moment to take that step. Invite Him to speak. He will.
Life is a long road. Walk it with Jesus. Take a step today… just one is fine.
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*Keener, C. S., Matthew (Vol. 1, Mt 9:9-13) (InterVarsity Press, 1997).