Accept His Invitation

Hos 6:3-6 / Rom 4:18-25 / Mt 9:9-13

What an interesting dinner party that must have been at Matthew’s house, with Jesus and his host at the head of the table, the prim and proper Pharisees hovering on the side, a handful of Jesus’ disciples talking among themselves, and then, arriving late, a lurid array of prostitutes and, worst of all, tax collectors. One can imagine the Pharisees turning up their noses at this motley crowd, causing Jesus to explain his choice of company: “Healthy people don’t need doctors; sick people do … And that’s why I’m here.”

If the Pharisees’ hearts had been open, they would have seen Jesus’ words as more than a gentle reprimand. They would have recognized that he was offering them an invitation to do two things: To look within and ask whether they might need a doctor themselves, and then, a little later, to ponder whether they mightn’t become soul doctors too. It was an invitation they never heard.

How many of those invitations have we missed in our lifetimes? How many times have we ignored the Lord’s outstretched hand? Too many! It can make us terribly sad to think about the joy we’ve missed and the chances of getting better that we’ve squandered, claiming we don’t need healing or are beyond healing.

Looking into the past is a painful waste of time, unless we’re ready to learn something from it. But if we’re willing to let the Lord take our hand, heavy weights can be lifted from our shoulders. Healing can begin. A new life can begin.

It’s what God wants for you, and he’s waiting for your answer to his invitation.

MENU