Sick

In today’s vernacular this word can mean that something is really alright. Through the years the meanings of words have been changed by generations to describe good things. I mean think about this… the phrase “far out” meant that a person thought something was really really good. “Cool” has nothing to do with temperature but that a person understood and appreciated something. The word “rad” came along and is similar to the word “cool”. “I’m down with that” is a term that is used to say a person will go along with some plan or thought.

In the time of Christ’s, when he spoke of the sick it wasn’t in defining something as alright. When he used the term he was speaking of a physical ailment or spiritual depravity of the subject. When questioned by the religious leaders of his day about eating, drinking, and hanging out with sinners, Christ replied…

Later, Levi invited Jesus and his disciples to his home as dinner guests, along with many tax collectors and other disreputable sinners. (There were many people of this kind among Jesus’ followers.) But when the teachers of religious law who were Pharisees saw him eating with tax collectors and other sinners, they asked his disciples, “Why does he eat with such scum?” When Jesus heard this, he told them, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.” Mark‬ ‭2:15-17‬ ‭NLT‬‬

In this setting Christ reveals the calling and duty he was sent to fulfill by the Father. His true purpose in coming to earth was not to heal the physical ailments (though he did heal many and the Spirit still does) but to heal the spiritually sick and repairing man’s relationship to the Father. What a concept…Jesus’ mission was to come and walk among us and then offer himself up as the spotless son of God to mend the broken relationship. Selfless obedience…

“Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.” Philippians‬ ‭2:6-8‬ ‭NLT‬‬

But those who depend on the law to make them right with God are under his curse, for the Scriptures say, “Cursed is everyone who does not observe and obey all the commands that are written in God’s Book of the Law.” So it is clear that no one can be made right with God by trying to keep the law. For the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.” This way of faith is very different from the way of law, which says, “It is through obeying the law that a person has life.” But Christ has rescued us from the curse pronounced by the law. When he was hung on the cross, he took upon himself the curse for our wrongdoing. For it is written in the Scriptures, “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.” Through Christ Jesus, God has blessed the Gentiles with the same blessing he promised to Abraham, so that we who are believers might receive the promised Holy Spirit through faith. Galatians‬ ‭3:10-14‬ ‭NLT‬‬

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up. After all, you have not yet given your lives in your struggle against sin.” Hebrews‬ ‭12:1-4‬ ‭NLT‬‬

That blows my mind…God the Son left the glories and honors of heaven to become a man with the purpose of dying a cursed death to redeem even me. Oh what a savior!

Think about this over this weekend of remembrance, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit worked together to repair what we had broken and now they are joyous for those who come and ask for forgiveness (actually asking God to apply the atonement of Christ’s death and resurrection to their life) and dedicating their lives to and beliefs on Christ. What a gift…hallelujah to the Lamb!

Be blessed.

ATFH