Only the sick need a doctor

Gospel

Matthew 9:9-13

It is not the healthy who need the doctor, but the sick

As Jesus was walking on, he saw a man named Matthew sitting by the customs house, and he said to him, ‘Follow me.’ And he got up and followed him.

While he was at dinner in the house it happened that a number of tax collectors and sinners came to sit at the table with Jesus and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, ‘Why does your master eat with tax collectors and sinners?’ When he heard this he replied, ‘It is not the healthy who need the doctor, but the sick. Go and learn the meaning of the words: What I want is mercy, not sacrifice. And indeed I did not come to call the virtuous, but sinners.’

Reflection

In this passage, Jesus calls Matthew, a tax collector often despised by society, to follow Him. Despite the judgment of the Pharisees, Jesus chooses to dine with tax collectors and sinners, demonstrating His mission to reach out to those marginalized and in need of healing. His words, "It is not the healthy who need the doctor, but the sick," remind us that Jesus came not for the perfect, but for those who recognize their brokenness and need for grace. The call to "go and learn what this means: I desire mercy, not sacrifice" challenges us to embody compassion over mere ritual. Are we open to receiving Jesus’ mercy and extending that same mercy to others, especially those whom society overlooks or judges?

Question for Reflection:

How can I show mercy and compassion to those whom society often excludes or judges?

Prayer

Loving God,

Thank You for Your boundless mercy and for calling us into Your healing presence. Help us to open our hearts to those in need, just as Jesus reached out to the sinners and outcasts. Teach us to embody mercy rather than judgment, and to follow Your example of love and acceptance. May we be instruments of Your grace in a world longing for healing.

Amen

Comments

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