Spiritual Awareness
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)
Everyone wants a degree of balance in their life. Whether it is work/life balance, spousal balance, or even the balance on your vehicle, balance is an important aspect of life overall. If you want to see where things are not going well, chances are one of those things are out of balance. You and your significant other are not seeing eye to eye can put things out of whack. You might even decide that you do not need someone in your life, and by cutting them loose, that may give you a sense of balance. For me, there are times where I have all those things in balance, and yet, still feel out of balance. Why? It tends to be that the things I’m balancing collectively do not balance with my own wellbeing. If I am so focused on all these things and I do not place any importance on me, it could be a sign of trouble. My health is ignored, or alone time is diminished. It makes me feel out of whack. It is often then that I will realize that I have not spent enough time with God in those moments. However, my discussion today does not center on being out of balance with God. It is on an imbalance with God that often occurs within us.
There is this thing where people question another’s faith based on their interpretation of who God is. There are some who will say God is the authority figure of whom I love. There are others who say I love God and as such, submit to His authority. The difference seems very subtle, and some of you reading this will take it as just a play on words. But here’s the thing. You can tell which is which when someone agrees or disagrees with you. The first group questions the other’s understanding of the word. Words like ‘repent,’ ‘follow the law,’ or ‘not following Jesus’ are the words they will use. On the other hand, there is another side who levy words against the first emphasizing words like ‘grace,’ ‘love,’ and ‘lacking the heart of God.’ My faith leans more toward the latter of the two, but I have a great deal of respect for the first because that is often where I find my spiritual balance.
Jesus is perfect because He encompass both God’s law and God’s love. In today’s verse, Jesus spoke about calling, “not those who think they are righteous, but know they are sinners.” It is confusing if you believe Jesus called all people. So, if he called all people then why not include those who think they are righteous? As we now know, anyone who comes to Jesus knows the fundamental truth that we all fall short of God’s glory. The Pharisees did not understand they too were sinners (think they are righteous). If we look at the same verses from the King James version, Jesus said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.” Note there is no mention of ‘thinking they are righteous.’ This is key as the NLT was the intent, but the NKJV was the message delivered. Jesus was with the sinners who knew they were wrong, but the point of Jesus’ message was to also bring awareness to those who felt they knew the law (righteous) but could not realize they too feel short. Jesus was saying that if you don’t need me (healthy people) then why spend time with you. We often feel like we are healthy whether we focus on God’s law or heart. The point is if we do not have a healthy level of both, we are like the Pharisees; people who did not realize they needed Jesus when they really did. We must take time out to understand where our own standing is and make sure we have a healthy balance of both understanding God’s law and displaying God’s love.
We can never have too much God. It is like the old hymnal that says, “I need thee. Oh, I need thee. Every hour, I need thee.” Because of my love for God, I seek to better understand His word so that I may apply it to live a life filled with the same grace, heart, and love for others as He has for me. Furthermore, I always love when others who understand God’s law impress knowledge on me to increase my wisdom of His plans. Thus, both sides can grow spiritually much like Proverbs 27:17 (As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend). Let us have greater awareness of who we are so that we can gain greater wisdom and heart to serve God better. What will you say when you disagree with someone’s view of God? How can you judge less and listen more on a differing perspective of God? My prayer is we trust God’s word and the heart He gave us to give us greater spiritual balance. Amen.