“Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. ...For I have come to call not the righteous but sinners.”

Do you know the story of the three doctors who died and went to heaven? St. Peter asked the first, “What have you done to deserve to come in here?” He answered, “Well, I was a neurosurgeon and I saved a few lives.” “That’s not too bad,” St. Peter said; “You can come in.” He asked the second, “What have you done to deserve to come in here?” She said, “I was a pediatrician. I saved the lives of many children, and I helped them to grow into healthy adults.” “Good, very good,” St. Peter said; “You can come in.” The third doctor stepped up and St. Peter asked, “And what have you done to deserve to come in here?” “Well, --- I was a general practitioner. I helped a number of people, but what I am most proud of is that I helped bring the first HMO to my community.” “Ah,” St. Peter replied, “I see, that was a good thing. You can come in; but you’ll have to leave in three days.”

The story of the calling of Matthew the tax collector is a more complex message then generally meets the eye. For a Pharisee, Jesus eating dinner with a tax collector is tantamount to treason. It is to eat with a turncoat, a traitor who helped support the Roman military machine and Roman oppression. It would be like the chaplain at Guantanamo Bay naval base eating dinner with one of the Al Quaeda prisoners. Jesus uses the occasion as a powerful symbol. He introduces an unexpected twist into the story. His response is laced with a surprise, “ Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means. ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have come to call not the righteous but sinners.”

Do you catch the surprising twist? His response entangles each of us with several possible meanings. If you think that you are righteous and that others are the sinners, then you do not need Jesus. Or perhaps if you are aware that you are a sinner and in need of help, then you can take heart that Jesus is present to help you. The twist of Jesus response is even yet more surprising. He says to the Pharisees, “Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’” At first blush a Pharisee hearing Jesus might walk away feeling justified, since he had heard, “those who are well have no need of a physician. However, the typical twist that Jesus throws into his sayings must have made the Pharisee stop in amazed wonder. Hearing, “Go and learn, ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice’” begs the question of who needs the physician, the tax collector or the Pharisee?

Kristin Stendahl, once dean of the Harvard Divinity School, used to say “Christians are indeed sinners, but think of themselves as honorary sinners, which is only one small step above the Pharisees.” Who do you expect to be in the church, the healthy or the sick?” The truth is that you and I are not here because we are healthy. We need a physician for our souls who takes the time to be with us. For indeed if we our focus is only upon the others as sinners, expect the twist or reversal of Jesus’ words to hit you hard when you least expect. It is as if Jesus is saying; get back in your place. Don’t put on airs.”

The church is not an HMO for sinners. The sin sick come here knowing that they can’t be thrown out, and that the Medicare doesn’t run out. They also know something that we all too often forget. We have the miracle drug and it makes lives not only healthy, but also wealthy and wise in spirit. Brothers and sisters we are not only the sick but also the interns in the Lord’s hospital. We are called to make the rounds, to take the time to listen, to pray the words that heal, to give the miracle drug - the loving mercy and hope of Jesus. We need to learn to do triage medicine if we are going to survive! Every doctor knows that for particularly difficult cases you need to consult the specialist. Many of our lives are difficult cases requiring a specialist. The specialist that we need is not in the yellow pages, but in the gold edge pages. The reason, the only reason people come to this hospital in which you and I are the interns is that they want to meet the specialist. They hear and see by the care, trust and love the great physician.

The church is not a retreat for the healthy, wealthy or sinless, it is the emergency ward. The patients all around us need the healing medicine of the merciful Love of Jesus Christ. Amen