The Dentist

by Pastor William C. Mack |  April 26, 2021

I just got back from a dental checkup. Ever since I was a kid I HATED going to the dentist. Every time I even THINK about the dentist’s office my nose itches and my pulse races! I have (too many) fillings and had a very painful experience in the dental office as a kid. Admittedly, however, it was due to my own neglect of my teeth. Whereas my parents forbade any candy in the house, I was an entrepreneur; catching catfish in the Delaware River (that flowed next to Philadelphia, PA) and selling them to folks in our area. I made a “bundle”; most of it going to support the candy store in our town! The sweets rotted my teeth but they tasted so good! Eventually, my health deteriorated in my digestive system because of my “sweet tooth” and I went off of processed sugar forever. Ironically, after adopting a healthier diet, the cavities stopped and I healed inside. Funny how what I THOUGHT was great for me actually harmed me and threatened to take my life at the “tender age” of 28!

Have you had a spiritual checkup lately? Many folks go through life living egocentrically; having a “great time” (as they see it). Sometimes things like cancer, Covid-19, divorce, poverty, etc., get their attention and they attempt to correct their “course” but too many times, unknown to them, they are dying or are dead; spiritually. Their lifestyles have not had a “checkup”, spiritually, and their souls are headed in the wrong direction, eternally.

As we look at God’s Law we see that we are corrupted and spiritually sick. Our souls need the Gospel healing that comes through Holy Baptism and the Gospel. The Holy Spirit continues to heal us and strengthen us as we hear of His love for us in Christ, embrace the promises of those holy waters of the baptismal font, and partake of the Blessed Sacrament of Holy Communion. The love, mercy, grace, and forgiveness of Jesus Christ are better than any other spiritual “sweet” in the world. He, alone, brings redemption and eternal life. Get a “check-up” through God’s Word and be blessed with His gracious healing of your soul. In Him Who rose again for us,

Pastor Bill Mack