The Righteous and Jesus

The righteous do not “need” Jesus. Now, before we get all up in arms about that statement, let me clarify. The righteous are in tune with Jesus and the work He has for them. They do all things in His name and know that when they are doing so, He is right there with them to carry them through. The righteous also know that when they are struggling and down and feeling persecuted, the LORD is there to carry them, guide them, and comfort them as they work it through. So, the righteous do not “need” Jesus.

“¹²But when he heard it, he said, ‘Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. ¹³Go and learn what this means: “I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.” For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.’” – Matthew 9:12-13 (ESV)

The words of Jesus as captured by Matthew, who had just been called to follow Him. You see, it is not the righteous that “need” Jesus, it is those who are not near to Him and have not given themselves to Him.

Notice that Jesus indicates that it is not the well that need a doctor, but those who are sick. I can take that even further for those who would say, “well what about wellness visits and checkups”. Yes, let’s talk about those. This is the daily, weekly, monthly, continuous prayer and relationship with Jesus. The righteous keep up the wellness visits and checkups with Jesus continuously. And He even knows when we have nothing to “say”. The deliberate communication with Jesus is our checkup. But, doctors will prioritize the emergency need over the wellness check as they should, and Jesus will devote His energy to those in need, the sinners.

And what about the fact that we are all sinners. Well, let’s talk about that as well. Yes, the righteous are sinners for sure. In our prayer, we are to acknowledge our sin and ask for forgiveness of those sins we have committed and those we will commit and those that we do not recognize that we have committed. So, we are all caught up with the LORD and our repentance. Those who have not accepted Christ as their savior are in need of immediate assistance and that is where He will turn His attention on the regular. To save the sinner is why Jesus came.

The righteous are in need, yes, but it is the sinner who needs the immediate help from Jesus and not the righteous. Jesus hears the prayer of the righteous and provides for the needs of those, it is the sinners who do not know what they “need” and therefor Jesus is there to guide them and care for them in that time. He came, devoted to saving the sinners as He already has done for the righteous.

What is your view of Jesus the righteous and sinner? Are you of the opinion that Jesus should devote His energy for those who know of and experienced His grace? What if you were to see Jesus as He is, the emergency physician who provides for those who need Him most?