I admire those who are in the medical field - doctors, nurses, first responders. They are there to help people get well and to heal their physical bodies. And I admire them because I could not do that. I would never be able to do any surgery, or to heal the wounds. I wouldn’t be able to look at a damaged human body after an accident. I would probably faint; maybe I would get used to it, I am not sure. Mother Theresa of Calcutta was able to help the poor, those who were dying on the streets whose bodies were covered with all kinds of wounds. But guess what -- when we sin our soul gets covered with disgusting wounds and we need someone to heal them and not to run away from us damaged people. Jesus offers us that help because He is our doctor, our physician who is not afraid to come close, to touch us, to love us, and to heal us even when we sin. Those scribes and Pharisees from the gospel reading today could not comprehend that -- “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?” Not because He was approving their sinful ways of living, but because Jesus wanted to heal their souls that were filthy with all kinds of sins. When we sin, Jesus doesn’t run away from us. He does the opposite, He welcomes us and He comes to us.
