THE WRONG PEOPLE
Mark 2:15-17 NKJV
15 Now it happened, as He was dining in Levi’s house, that many tax collectors and sinners also sat together with Jesus and His disciples; for there were many, and they followed Him. 16 And when the scribes and Pharisees saw Him eating with the tax collectors and sinners, they said to His disciples, “How is it that He eats and drinks with tax collectors and sinners?”
17 When Jesus heard it, He said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”
We have little idea of just how much the Jewish people hated the tax collectors and sinners. Particularly, tax collectors. Here was a group of people who worked for the Roman government, collecting taxes. And these men were notorious for lining their pockets by collecting more than Rome required and taking the difference for themselves. They were considered traitors and crooked and were despised by the average Jewish citizen. And the sinners were those who were not even trying to make a show of living according to the laws of Moses. If there were two more hated groups of people, I am not aware of them. Well, maybe the Samaritans. Religious people are not a welcoming group.
So here comes Jesus into the Jewish society. First, he picks a tax collector, Matthew, also known as Levi, to be one of his disciples. Of all the people Jesus could have chosen, why pick a tax collector? I am sure Matthew was quite a hit with the other disciples. And then Jesus goes to eat at Matthew’s house with a bunch of other tax collectors and sinners. The scribes and Pharisees were completely disgusted. But Jesus was a hit with the rough crowd, and many followed Him.
Why would tax collectors and sinners follow Jesus? Obviously, because they were made to feel welcomed by Jesus. And these were the very people that Jesus was trying to reach. The fact that the sinless Son of God would seek out the very people that religion had rejected tells us something about God’s heart for people. God loves people. The good, the bad, and the not so pretty. Jesus conveyed a message that God did not reject these tax collectors and sinners. And when answering the scribes and Pharisees, Jesus said He didn’t come to call the righteous to repentance. He came to call the sinners to repentance. So even though Jesus was eating with tax collectors and sinners, it does not mean He was condoning their behavior. The end goal of Jesus was for the sinners to repent. To change. To go in another direction. Jesus said the sick need a doctor and the sinner needs to repent.
But here is what we have to keep in mind. Jesus did not bring about repentance by condemning the tax collectors and sinners. He brought about repentance by loving them and conveying that God had a better way for them to live.
APPLICATION
About thirty years ago, someone came up with a bracelet, WWJD. What would Jesus do? It’s a great question, and in this passage, we see what Jesus did. We are smart if we stay with the same strategy. If our message is condescending and condemning, we will not reach many people. But if we open our doors to those that religion passes over, we’ll always have an opportunity to see God move and lives change. For years, The Ark has been known as a place where, to quote one lady, “they let anyone in there.” I never met the lady who said that, but I appreciate her commentary. We open our doors wide so that hearts can open wide to the life-changing message of God’s love and grace that brings repentance. Just following Jesus!