SCRIPTURE: 2 Kings 14
OBSERVATION/APPLICATION:
When the teachers of the law who were Pharisees saw him eating with the “sinners” and tax collectors, they asked his disciples: “Why does he eat with tax collectors and ‘sinners’?” On hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” [Mark 2:16-17]
The religious leaders could not figure Jesus out, why He was so hard on them, and yet so tolerant of ‘sinners’.
Jesus’ answer suggests that God’s interest is in helping sinners, not people who think they are righteous.
People who think they are righteous have allowed pride to blind them.
But sinners know they need help, like sick people know they need a doctor.
It is not until we realize our sinful condition that we can get His help.
Through Jesus, God reminds us that He wants to be gracious, merciful, forgiving, if we are prepared to admit our need for it.
In 2 Kings 14, we have two kings described: Amaziah the righteous king [2 Kings 14:3] and Jereboam II the evil king [2 Kings 14:24].
And yet we also see an interesting development: Amaziah becomes proud, and is humbled [2 Kings 14:10-14], while God graciously uses Jereboam to restore and strengthen Israel [2 Kings 14:25-27].
Why is God so hard on the righteous, while tolerant of sinners?
Amaziah is like the Pharisees, known for their commitment to being righteous, they became proud and looked down on others.
Jereboam was a sinner, and was not even showing signs of repentance; yet God treats him with mercy to win over his heart and to help His people.
It does not appear that Jereboam repents and returns to God.
But God’s mercy benefits the people.
The LORD had seen how bitterly everyone in Israel, whether slave or free, was suffering; there was no one to help them. [2 Kings 14:26]
Through Jereboam, God gives them another chance.
God is patient with me too, so that I can also come to Him as a sin-sick patient, eager for His healing and help.
Will I be too proud to admit I need help, or will I admit it, and take hold of His overflowing desire to show me mercy?
Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness leads you toward repentance? [Romans 2:4]
PRAYER:
Lord, I am sin-sick, I need Your healing and help. Help me to not just say this, but to mean it too.
The center of man is his heart. From the heart flow the issues of life. Amaziah’s pride blinded him and Jehoash shows us his folly. It was his death.
Yet God uses a wicked king to restore hope to His people so that they are not destroyed. It is during the reign of Jeroboam that God raised prophets such as Hosea to be shining lights for His people. Once again, the Lord our God delivers His poeople, and gives them a new beginning – another chance. Do we have the eyes to see how the Lord our God works among His people then? Today?
How’s my heart? Am I hard hearted insisting upon my own way? How proud am I?
Lord, give me the eyes that I may see You leading and guiding me in the Way that I should go. Help me daily to walk in Your Sonshine. I need You every hour.
Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart;
Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art
Thou my best Thought, by day or by night,
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.
Be Thou my Wisdom, and Thou my true Word;
I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord;
Thou my great Father, I Thy true son;
Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.