A well-matched pair of readings today, with the Epistle telling us that God cares, and the Gospel showing us how much he cares! This kind of flies in the face of some who want to speak of "God's will" as being anything else but willing our well-being!

We also see a prime example of why not to exalt ourselves. We wouldn't think much of a doctor or nurse who didn't want to deal with sick people, so why disdain a minister who wants to spend time with people that some folks call "unworthy"?

It's a major clue in what all of this is about!