Remember the Great Physician who has given us the remedy for sinners―the only remedy―the only Good News! Otherwise, the bad news would crush us all. Sin is the problem―it accounts for all the problems―and there’s only one hope; one cure for sin.

As doctors are in the business of dealing with the sick, pastors are in the business of dealing with sin. We both see some gross stuff. Twenty years ago, I remember thinking I could no longer be shocked by human depravity; I was seriously underestimating the creativity of sinners. I’m always learning about some new physical disease or malady that I had never heard of before, and I usually think, “I don’t even want to know about that; it’s just one more thing to worry about.” This year (indeed, this week), sinners unveiled new expressions of their sinfulness. Sin is the true pandemic of the world, and there’s no place of quarantine.

All around us, sinners are sick and dying. You can hear their coughs and moans. They share their needles. We all live on these mean streets, wondering what’s going on just around the corner.

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