Jesus answered them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” – Luke 5:31-32

Today’s Scripture Reading (August 10, 2014): Luke 5

On February 15, 1977, M*A*S*H aired its 118^th episode. The episode was entitled “The General’s Practitioner.” The main storyline of the episode was about a General (General Korshack played by Edward Binns) in search of a personal doctor. For the surgeon, it would be easy duty, far from the front line and the fighting. But the doctor that the General has his eyes on is none other than Benjamin Franklin “Hawkeye” Pierce. And Hawkeye wants absolutely nothing to do with the job – or with the General. Alan Alda plays the part of Hawkeye Pierce to his insolent best. But in the end, the General is not going to be deterred. Hawkeye Pierce will become the new doctor and will be assigned to the staff of General Korshak. But in the climax of the episode Hawkeye asks the General if his motto has any truth in it – that the men on the frontline deserve the very best. And if that is true, and Hawkeye has to be spending time away from his Dad and all the things that he loves, then he might as well be left at the M*A*S*H unit – at least there he has a chance to save some lives and serve the fighting men that the General says deserve the best that the army has to offer. Reluctantly the General agrees. Hawkeye remains at the M*A*S*H doing what he does best and the General returns to Tokyo without a personal physician.

Jesus is criticized for spending time with the lowest segments of society. But his answer would have been one that Hawkeye Pierce could have very easily spoken – he had not come to spend his time with the elite of the society. He had come to spend his time with sick – those who realized how much they needed him. If he was going to spend his time on earth away from his Father and the throne that was his, then he might as well make a difference – he had come to save lives.

But maybe the saddest part of the story was that the Pharisees and the teachers of the law were in as much need of the saving work of Jesus as the people that Jesus was spending his time with. But they refused to acknowledge their need – so there was absolutely nothing that Jesus could do. With the tax-collectors and the prostitutes, there was no pretending. They knew exactly who they were and how much they needed grace.

We still stand in need of the one who came to heal the sick. We need Jesus – if we can only come to understand how great is that need.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: John 2