Inviting Jesus

“When Jesus heard this, he said, ‘Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do.’ Then he added, ‘Now go and learn the meaning of this Scripture: “I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices.” For I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners’” (Matthew 9:12-13).

A few years ago, a popular YouTube channel made a series of videos which highlighted the struggles of poverty among the elderly community in South Korea. The host of the show noted that it had been hard to find people to talk to on camera as many feared “losing face,” worried of what their family and friends would think of them following the interview. 

After several months, they finally connected with Madame Yoo, an eighty-two-year-old woman who welcomed them into her home. Her apartment was the size of a small basement with no windows or ventilation, scattered with personal belongings and bags of trash. She revealed that she was living on $2 a day by collecting discarded cardboard boxes on the street and selling them to the junkyard. Madame Yoo invited the host and crew to be a part of her day, which was mostly spent breaking down boxes and running errands. When they returned home, Madame Yoo was all smiles as she thanked them with cups of instant coffee, noting that it had been “an enjoyable day.” Over the years, they’ve continued supporting her through financial gifts raised through their channel and even by renovating her living space. 

As I reflected on the video, I was humbled by the way Madame Yoo graciously invited these people into her life and accepted their help without shame or fear of judgment. It was such a stark contrast to how I’d been living at the time—keeping everyone at an arm’s length and even rejecting my need for Jesus because I was ashamed to come to terms with how “bad” things had gotten in my spiritual life. 

In Matthew 9, we see a tax collector named Matthew inviting Jesus to his home for dinner “along with many tax collectors and other disreputable sinners” (v. 10). The Pharisees, prominent Jewish leaders of that time, criticized Jesus for accepting Matthew’s invitation, asking His disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with such scum?’’ (v. 11). Jesus was quick to rebuke them, saying, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do” and “For I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners” (v. 12-13). 

I’ve been pondering Jesus’ words—those who think they are righteous versus those who know they are sinners, and I realized that accepting God’s help and His grace hinge on this very difference. The truth is, we are all sinners, but sometimes we’re so busy keeping up appearances, striving to make ourselves “healthy” by our own efforts, that we don’t see our need for a doctor. It’s only when we acknowledge our sin and desperation that we can invite Jesus to enter the messy “home” of our hearts and accept His help and healing in our lives. 

Is there an area in your life where you need to invite Jesus into your mess? What will it take for you to admit your desperation for Him today? He’s ready to meet us where we are with love and grace, so let’s open the door. 

Daneem Kim serves as a youth leader at Maine Street Baptist Church in Brunswick, Maine.