Jesus reveals his heart to be the Physician of the Soul.

He is the new way, not the old. He is the King in the Kingdom of God, and he is the centerpiece of the New Covenant.

He compassionately heals out of love.

He has authority not only over creation and demons but even over the Law.

Jesus answered them, ‘It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.’

Luke’s gospel is written to dismantle the false view we have of ourselves and our God, and in its place to build into our hearts the glorious truth of the favour of God, for anyone who is seeing clearly enough to recognise their desperate need of Jesus.

Today it will be a paralytic who shatters the delusion of our self-sufficiency, and in it’s place lead us to the God who neither slumbers not sleeps in his help of us.

We will hear again the gospel of Jesus. The one who comes as the doctor we all need. A doctor who has not come for those who keep pretending they're healthy, but for those who know they're sick. A doctor who has not come to manage symptoms, but to make us whole again and forever.

‘Cancel culture is mercy’s antithesis’. Nick Cave

‘Jesus suffered outside the city gate to make a people holy through his own blood’ Hebrews 13.12

This Sunday we’ll meet an outcast who shows us our true status before God, who asks the question we must ask (if we’re seeing things clearly). This Sunday we’ll see Jesus - who has come for the outsiders, the cancelled, the broken, the unclean, the stuff ups, the sinners, the sick. He brings them good news, of favour, of a way back where none seemed possible. And only if we are willing to number ourselves among those who need such favour is Jesus’ ministry good news for us.

What a difference a day makes!

Especially when that day involves the Lord Jesus walking into your workplace and turning your life upside down. Especially when that ends up meaning your life is finally turned the right way up!

That’s the experience of Simon in Luke 5.1-11. This Sunday’s passage has much to teach us about what deep water discipleship could look like in our own lives. And it also might teach us a bit about fishing!

The King has come and he is coming again. He came to demonstrate the goodness and mercy of God. First through his miracles and his mercy to thousands.

Then ultimately to go to the cross for us for our sins and to rise from the dead to give us the promise of forgiveness of our sins and of everlasting life.

And he promised he is coming again to put an end to all evil and to let goodness reign with completeness over the earth.

This is the good news…the very good news of the kingdom of God.

This Sunday we will hear the announcement of God’s favour, his grace, being open to all who would see their need and claim their share, through the ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ. Knowing this promise of grace is all the more precious in light of the deep needs of our world, the tensions besetting nations at present. How broken and divided our world is. How good it is to know that in our need we can come to our God and seek his favour once more.

we’ll see that the fruit a human heart and mind produces, when that heart and mind are set on Jesus, is the fruit of repentance and faith. If that fruit is absent, it is a sign our hearts and minds are set elsewhere. But, the more we set our hearts and minds on Jesus as our King, the more buds of growth will show themselves in our lives. Wonderfully, we don’t need to wait until spring each year to see such growth. The fruit of repentance and faith can be produced daily.

Whatever days you are in…Luke 4 declares that we live in favourable days!

My prayer for us is that as we read Luke 2-7 together that these will be life changing days for our church family.

Hear about God’s compassion and joy when we who were lost to him are found. It’s a message of welcome for us… as well as for our family, neighbours and friends.