“Then Levi held a great banquet for Jesus at his house, and a large crowd of tax collectors and others were eating with them. 30 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law who belonged to their sect complained to his disciples, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” 31 Jesus answered them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 32 I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” Luke 5.29-31
Our 13th Revive Men’s Retreat in Colorado has begun. Forty-five men are staying at the YMCA of the Rockies in Estes Park, CO, all in one cabin. It’s a Sabbath week with no set schedule except for dinner each night, followed by worship and prayer. Last night was our first night of worship, during which we called men to repentance.
Sometimes I wonder if this is what we should offer, but then I’m reminded of Jesus’ words: “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” This reassures me that we are called to ask men, year after year, to repent of their sins and walk in step with the Savior. Even for believers, we need to repent time and again because each new day is an opportunity to walk with the Lord or to sin.
When Jesus met the tax collector Levi, Levi quickly followed Him and soon hosted Jesus for dinner at his house. Consider that for a moment—this righteous, preaching Jesus chose to dine in the home of a known sinner rather than settling in the home of a saint. Jesus went to someone known as a cheater, a greedy, money-grabbing man, because that is where He was most needed. He came for the sick, not the healthy.
Jesus came for those who needed Him most—anyone who calls upon the name of the Lord! He came for those who were hurting, hungry, vulnerable, and broken. When Jesus showed up, He brought hope to people like Levi, who thought the world had passed them by. But Jesus stops, and He calls us, as He called Levi, to repent.
I therefore believe that offering times of repentance on the first, second, and third nights of the Revive Men’s Retreat is exactly what we need. Once we repent and turn back to the Lord, we can continue to pursue the holiness of Christ and make more disciples of Jesus.
This is only day one, and I do not know what God has in store, but I know it is significant. The conversations, times of worship, and moments of connection reflect what the early Methodists did in “Christian conferencing,” urging one another toward good works.
So pray for us! If you are reading this and aren’t in Colorado, lift up these 45 men who are seeking the face of Jesus, claiming His blood for healing, and repenting of sin so that we might reflect His glory and live by His grace.
“O Lord God, thank You for loving us. Thank You for Your power and might. Come and visit us in these moments of confession; renew our hearts for You. Allow us to find healing and wholeness through Your Holy Spirit. For You are good, and Your love endures forever.” Amen