Not for Show
Mark 2:17 - More Like Jesus
Word of the week: Faith isn’t a crutch—it’s power in action.
On hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
- Mark 2:17
MINI-MESSAGE
A lot of people say that faith is a crutch or something for the weak, but actually, faith makes us stronger. It gives us fortitude.
Being righteous makes you spiritually strong, kind of like how doctors say lifting weights is one of the best ways to get healthier.
But spiritual muscles aren’t for showing off—they’re for helping others. Jesus wants us to be spiritually strong to stand up and fight for what’s right.
When we’re strong with God, we have the power to do amazing things.
Righteousness is using your strength for good.
THE FIVE-MINUTE VERSION
During the pandemic, I got stronger.
I had never been much of a gym rat. In high school and college, I mostly worked out at home, and after that, I was pretty on-and-off through my 30s and 40s. But when COVID hit, my kids and I started going to the gym several times a week. Our four kids ranged from 18 to 12 at the time. The 17-year-old, Christian, took on the role of our coach. He had learned a lot about technique through high school wrestling.
After a couple of months, we began to see real gains. I started talking like “Ah-nold” and we joked about going to competitions.
One day, though, the kids corrected me. They taught me a key difference: bodybuilding versus powerlifting.
“Dad,” they said, “we’re not bodybuilders. Bodybuilders focus on looks. Powerlifters focus on getting strong.”
They said, it’s about strength, not posing! (When they said this, I felt a proud dad moment.)
Oddly, my sons would become frail when there was trash to be taken out. But they understood that muscles aren’t for show.
They’re for action. You’re not meant to sit on the sidelines and just look good. Your strength is for the fight.
This week, we wrap up the story of Jesus calling Matthew and hanging out with his friends, who were seen as sinners. The scribes, who were religious leaders, were shocked that a respected rabbi like Jesus would break their rules of righteousness.
So, what does it mean to be righteous?
I’ve said before that we overcomplicate religion: it’s about enjoying God’s presence and inviting others in. To be righteous means to please God.
Jesus explained it this way: “It’s not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.”
Jesus compares righteousness to health! How cool is that?
As we’ve learned, righteousness as health is a recurring theme. To save is to heal. When we’re close to God, we’re spiritually healthy. But the Greek word for “healthy” also implies strength. So, righteousness isn’t just about clean living—it’s about power used to fight for what’s right.
Further, faith and strength are connected. Jesus later says that even a little faith can move mountains. Faith is the pre-workout formula that activates the gains in our spirit.
Spiritual strength is power in action. You can be physically weak but spiritually strong enough to overcome anything.
So, how’s your spiritual strength?
Are you working out your faith?
Jesus calls us to get spiritually in shape. Everything—body, mind, and spirit—is connected, and he wants us to find our strength.
My kids lift more than me now, and my youngest and I leave on Sunday for Costa Rica, where he will compete to be the best in the world for his age and class. You can follow him through the IPF here.
But my kids and I all know that when it comes to strength, dads have an extra gear. Why? It’s a strength not for show. It’s for protecting, serving, and getting things done.
To be more like Jesus is to be spiritually stronger and healthier, not just for yourself, but to help others.
It doesn’t matter if it’s been years or if you’ve never trained—physically or spiritually. To become more like Jesus is to become healthier—and stronger.
You got this!
PRAY
Lord God, give me the strength that can only come from your presence. Teach me how to have faith that is so strong, it can move a mountain. Show me how to train, not for show, but for others. Amen.
LIVE IT
Weak: When have you felt spiritually weak or unworthy—like you didn’t belong with Jesus?
The Reason: What would it mean to see that weakness not as a disqualification, but as the very reason Jesus comes to you?
Stronger: Think of one way you’ve grown stronger through grace—not by effort, but by depending on God.
Someone Else: Who around you might need the strength God has built in you? How might you use your strength to serve someone else?
