A Morning Cup of Tea: Matthew 9: 9-13

*** Catching up a little here. Before I got knocked offline last week I had begun chapter 9 here. 
 This morning, I went ahead and posted chapter 11 to keep myself on schedule with my reading. 
  August 2 was a busy morning as we had really just started a new medication for J so the reading was short and sweet.

In verse 9 Matthew the publican (tax collector) becomes  a disciple.
In the next few verses we find Jesus eating with tax collectors and other sinners. The pharisees of course, think it's wrong to do so. Jesus replies : They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick. But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy and not sacrifice. For I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentence.

This passage always reminds me of an excuse I hear from time to time from some who choose not to attend worship service. "Church is full of hypocrites. They do such and such on Saturday and come to church on Sunday."  Worship service is a choice, and we are all given that choice by our Creator. Yes, it is true we have hypocrites in the church. I'm sure you can find them anywhere, really. But not one of us is perfect, nor should we claim to be. We all have things we need to work on. The person to see when one is sick is a doctor. Worship service and fellowship with other Christians is like building up the immune system with vitamins and exercise and good food. Doesn't mean you won't get sick, but it does help guard against it. 

*** Catching up a little here. Before I got knocked offline last week I had begun chapter 9 here. 
 This morning, I went ahead and posted chapter 11 to keep myself on schedule with my reading. 
  August 2 was a busy morning as we had really just started a new medication for J so the reading was short and sweet.

In verse 9 Matthew the publican (tax collector) becomes  a disciple.
In the next few verses we find Jesus eating with tax collectors and other sinners. The pharisees of course, think it's wrong to do so. Jesus replies : They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick. But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy and not sacrifice. For I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentence.

This passage always reminds me of an excuse I hear from time to time from some who choose not to attend worship service. "Church is full of hypocrites. They do such and such on Saturday and come to church on Sunday."  Worship service is a choice, and we are all given that choice by our Creator. Yes, it is true we have hypocrites in the church. I'm sure you can find them anywhere, really. But not one of us is perfect, nor should we claim to be. We all have things we need to work on. The person to see when one is sick is a doctor. Worship service and fellowship with other Christians is like building up the immune system with vitamins and exercise and good food. Doesn't mean you won't get sick, but it does help guard against it.