Hospital for Sinners

“It is not those who are well who need a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.” Luke 5:31-32

Very often, we as conservative evangelical Christians fall prey to our Pharisaical self-righteous tendencies.

We enter into church with smiles on our faces when there is sorrow in our hearts. We feign holiness and righteousness when sinfulness has plagued us throughout the week.

And as we lie to one another about the true condition of our hearts, we begin to lie to ourselves. The culture of our community becomes, not a hospital for sinners (as it should be), but rather a museum for saints.

Who Jesus Came For

When Jesus was reprimanded by the Pharisees for dining with tax-collectors and sinners, His mission was made clear. It was for these that He came. “The Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost,” He declared.

The reality of this mission is often forgotten, and the tendency of our hearts almost always leads us to covering our shame and brokenness. This leads to communities which demand perfection from others, but in reality cannot deliver perfection in themselves. Such a culture quickly turns abusive, and the sick for whom Jesus came heal get sicker in the very place they have needed to find healing.

What If...

But what if our churches were places of grace? What if the church of Jesus Christ looked like the Lord Jesus Christ Himself who associated with the sick in order to make them well?

When our churches begin to be known for grace for the sick and the sinner, they will begin to see healing and repentance through the power of Christ.

And when our churches become places of healing, the sick can be open and honest about who they are, and where they have been.

Finding the Sickness

When I was a boy going for a physical to be cleared for sports, I remember filling out a screening questionaire. My brother whispered to me: “Check ‘No’ for all of them so they don’t make any fuss.” My brother and I had an unspoken belief that it was better that nobody know if we were unhealthy.

But if I was unhealthy, the very best thing for me would have been for the doctor to find my illness as soon as possible. Then treatment could begin before more complications occurred.

We do the same thing spiritually when we hide our weaknesses and infirmities. We miss our chance for healing.

Healing the Sickness

It is not enough that we are open about our sickness. Jesus did not come to hang out indefinitely with sinners and the sick. He came to save. He came to call sinners to repentance. He came to heal.

As the church becomes a place that welcomes the broken, needy and sinful, treatment can begin, healing take place and Christ will be honored and glorified.

Next: Breaking through the Walls: Equipping the Saints to Minister to the Community