Sugar, Sugar
A.W. Pink often hits ya right between the eyes with his words and I love it. This comment made me think of the verse when Jesus said it’s the sick who need a doctor, not the healthy. Let’s see it in context —
Luk 5:27 After this he (Jesus) went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax booth. And he said to him, “Follow me.”
Luk 5:28 And leaving everything, he rose and followed him.
Luk 5:29 And Levi made him a great feast in his house, and there was a large company of tax collectors and others reclining at table with them.
Luk 5:30 And the Pharisees and their scribes grumbled at his disciples, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?”
Luk 5:31 And Jesus answered them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.
Luk 5:32 I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.”
—Luke 5:27-32
I get that there is some wisdom in catching more flies with honey. However, when you’re uncompromising on truth, even when you aren’t using vinegar and think you’re using honey, people will take offense. The truth often hurts. ‘Hey fatty, drop those 5 bags of candy and maybe consider a salad,’ is obviously not using honey (although it sounds like there is a lot of yummy sugar involved), but it may be the truth we need to hear. Those of us who don’t take ourselves that seriously and have a healthy sense of humor may even appreciate the words just like that. For a lot of people, they don’t want it right between the eyes, so we have to use wisdom in how we share truth…
When you stop to think about it, the gospel is a much more inclusive message. We’re ALL under God’s wrath. We’re in a much worse position than a diabetic. When you think about it that way, then it shouldn’t be a question on whether we need to tell folks they need a doctor. It would be unloving not to do so! We can point them to the Doctor and His words, but it’s up to the Holy Spirit to unveil their eyes to the fact they are sinners and make them see the need to repent. Relaying the Doctor’s words to folks might make them angry, and it’s quite likely that anger will be directed at us. They see us as the ones calling them ‘fat’ and coming for their beloved sugar. We must speak truth anyways. To lie to them is being disobedient (and therefore unloving) to our God and is unloving to them…
If we confidence we have been chosen by God, then we know we’ve been spared from His wrath thanks to Jesus. Why then would we be fearful of some possible anger from a mere human? It seems absurd when we put it like that, right? Yet, we all struggle with this to some degree. The fact they are still under God’s wrath should motivate us to tell them they’re sick and they need the Doctor. God will help us deal with whatever reaction they have, good or bad. That’s love and faith in action. If we aren’t willing to be this kind of messenger for God, then let’s at least be honest about who we are and what we’re doing. We are WORSE than the physician telling the diabetic to eat whatever he wants! If we’re only comfortable sharing a kind of gospel that says, ‘God loves you (no matter what)’ then we are basically the diabetic’s sugar dealer. If that hit you right between the eyes, Christian, then simply repent. As Christians, we’ve all had bad moments as messengers and acted worse than the doctor who tells his diabetic patient to put the pedal to the floor when the cliff is getting closer. Repent. Ask God to show you what He wants you to say and who He wants you to say it to today. Perhaps you’ll be reminded of some incorrect news or diagnosis you passed along to someone in the past. Why not go to them and correct the record? That would be one form of walking in humility (Yeah, Christians get it wrong a lot too!). Also, if we truly care about the fact they are sick and need a doctor, we certainly can’t let our pride get in the way. We must give them the truth, and let the Truth speak for Himself. We’re just the sowers and messengers…