Mark 2:17 Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.
I got lost the other day. Miles from our hotel, in a strange city, my phone died and I had absolutely no idea how to get back. I must have driven in circles for an hour, thinking I was on the right road, only to find that Orange Blossom Avenue is very different than Orange Avenue. I could not even find a gas station. When I finally did, the attendant, who did not know where my hotel was either, found my request for a map amusing. Apparently, no one uses maps anymore. I was lost.
Jesus, in this passage, describes how He came for those who know they are lost. The Pharisees were offended by the amount of time Jesus spent with sinners. They did not consider themselves to be sinners so they pointed out that Jesus surrounded himself with losers.
Jesus informed the Pharisees that He came to save those who needed it. He came for the sick and the lost. He was not saying that the rest of the world was fine without him. The truth is, we are all sick and we all need God. Jesus just came for those who know it.
The world says, Blessed are the wealthy and successful. Jesus said, Blessed are the losers. They, at least, know their need. Those who feel they have no need for God are in the end, truly lost.
If you and I know we need God, then we are, in fact, the fortunate. If I do not think that I need God, then I just do not need God. Even if I want God or think He is a good idea, if I do not realize my need, I will not find him. It is only in my need that I come to God in my proper position, as one who is lost, in need of salvation.
There are those who see no need for God and thus, have no interest in him. There are also those however, who feel their need evaporated when they first came to God. Both have a hard time connecting with God as they just do not see their continued need.
It is only in recognition of my continual need for God that I continually seek and find him. The Pharisees were just as lost as those who refused to follow God as they were blind to their own sickness. They had been cured and thus, no longer needed God. This is a dangerous place to be.
Some chafe at my recognition of continued need. They feel that as I have come to know God, that I should identify as perfect. While I do carry this perfect spirit life in me, I carry it in an imperfect jar of clay (I Cor. 4:7). The truth is, I am still in need, so daily, I still seek God.
The Seeds of the Spirit is a daily blog based on a walk through the New Testament. Written from the perspective of my own addiction, it explores the common defects of our flesh nature and the solution, our spirit life. If you find it helpful, sign up for the blog as a daily email, tell your friends and like/share it on Facebook.