Lord will come for sinners sake, not righteous
Scripture reading: Revelation 3:14-22. Text: “I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” Luke 5:32. We are in the Advent as well as in the football season, and don’t say, please, that we are not affected when the Steelers (our favorite football team) are losing or winning. Somehow we live in a “sport frenzy” era, when out team wins a championship or even just a game, some overzealous fans may overreact and even riot.
Why this (foolish) enthusiasm? Because our team is the number one, we won and we share the pride, fame and glory. We identify ourselves with the athletes of the nationally respected, victorious team.
Somehow the concept of “being the champion” or the “best” has been influencing our thinking subconsciously because the pride of being number one slowly seeps from the winning local sport team into our national awareness, namely we are Americans, the citizens of the greatest and richest country in the world. We are helping so many nations financially, economically and even militarily, therefore, we deserve appreciation for being so kind, nice and generous.
I do not say that everybody has this attitude, but it has noticeably impacted our general mentality and behavior. Unfortunately, there is a negative reaction to it from those who are on the opposite end of the scale.
Can we add just this one word: “spiritually?”
Let us see what can one find behind our general opinion? Medically, we are healthy; in terms of intelligence, we are well-educated; financially, we are strong; militarily, were are powerful; legally, we are innocent and not guilty; psychologically, we are normal; socially, we are friendly; emotionally, we are loving and caring; practically, the Yankee ingenuity is well known; politically, we are free and democratic; commercially, we deal and trade with the whole world; scientifically, our achievements are unparalleled. Think of the Hubble telescope and our many Nobel Prize-winning scholars. In sport, our athletes bring home many prizes. At the Olympic Games, we are at the top.
After all these, is it surprising that we have the inclination to think of ourselves as champion, number one, the leader, the protector, the trailblazer, the example, the helper, the well known and the admired?
If this theory is true (even to some extent), then let us raise the question, how can we wait for the Savior who said about himself: “I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” See our text.
In this statement, we can find both sides, first the negative: “I have not come to…” and then the positive: “but (I have definitely come to) . . .”
Now we can paraphrase Jesus’ statement in this way: “I have not come to help you medically, psychologically, economically, socially, scientifically, commercially, and so on, but I definitely came to lift you up spiritually: “I have … come to call the … sinners to repentance.” See again our text.
“You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquire wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.'” Revelation 3:17.
These words had been directed to the church in Laodicea, see verse 14; and the interpretation is clear. The people in Laodicea could have been smart, wealthy, powerful and well-known; however, they had fallen short only in one respect, spiritually.
Which of the many aspects of life reflects spirituality the best?
Morality! Where the spiritual life is healthy and strong, the moral standards are high, public safety is obvious, the family life is harmonious, in politics and business honesty and dependability prevail and the society is based on mutual respect and care. After this, is it not obvious what Christ had said: “I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”
The conclusion is, none of us should look around to see how others think, behave or act, but each of us should look into himself/herself and ask: “When Christ arrives, will it be his intention to meet me?” Because why did he come for the first time? If he made it clear what had been the reason for his “incarnation,” then his approaching would be based again on the same principles. Lord, come to me, because I am the one who needs thee.
The Rev. Alexander Jalso is a retired United Presbyterian minister living in Brownsville.