A man said to the doctor, "Will I be able to play the violin after the operation?" The doctor said, "Yes, of course". The man said, "Great! I never could before!"

Jesus said, "It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick" (Matthew 9:12). Jesus made this statement when he was criticized by the Pharisees for eating with publicans and sinners. Somehow the religious leaders of the day figured that isolation and condemnation was the best policy for dealing with the outsiders. Jesus on the other hand showed concern, and forgiveness to those who did not know God.

Jesus never condoned sin. Concern, love, and a willingness to forgive must never be mistaken for acceptance of what God condemns. Jesus still refers to those in sin as "sick" and in need of a "physician". Jesus was there to show the way, to teach the truth of God, and to guide all those who were interested. The religious leaders should have been interested as well, for they were also sick, but unwilling to receive the diagnoses.

Jesus demonstrates the true heart of God toward us all. He lived among mankind with all the sin, injustice, irreverence, and darkness of His age and ours, and yet lived a righteous life that was pleasing to His heavenly Father, a life that shows us the way. Then He paid a debt He did not owe, by dying for all sinners who would have it so. In truth we all need this great physician, for we have all sinned.

Not only can we find healing for our sins, we will also find that there will be things that we couldn't do before that we will now be able to do. When one come to Christ, He works within the disciple. One is transformed by the renewing of the mind (Romans 12:1-2). The disciple learns love, forgiveness of others, patience, steadfastness, and is made a worker in the Lord's vineyard.

Just like when a person is suffering from some physical sickness, doing other activities seems impossible, so it may seem to the spiritually sick, that this type of transformation is impossible. It is of course impossible until you come to the Great Physician!

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