24.122 | JESUS CAME FOR SINNERS | Mark 2:13-17 | God’s Word for Today with Pastor Nazario Sinon

God’s Word For Today

Text: Mark 2:13-17 (ESV)

13 He went out again beside the sea, and all the crowd was coming to him, and he was teaching them. 14 And as he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him.

15 And as he reclined at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners were reclining with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. 16 And the scribes of the Pharisees, when they saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, said to his disciples, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?” 17 And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”

JESUS CAME FOR SINNERS

Jesus called Levi[Matthew], son of Alphaeus, to follow Him as one of His 12 disciples. Did he know of Him prior to this moment? Perhaps, he knew Jesus like Peter and Andrew. This explains his willingness to abandon his very lucrative post as a tax collector and follow Jesus. He was collecting taxes on behalf of the Roman ruler, most likely Herod Antipas.

Immediately, Levi invited Jesus and others for a great feast at his home. They reclined at the table, laying on their sides or bellies with their legs behind them, leaning on their left arms and eating with their right hand. He also invites "sinners." This is a technical term given by the Pharisees to Jews who do not have no interest or inclination to follow their rigid religion.

This gathering for dinner in the house of ungodly Levi and his friends with Jesus and His followers has angered the devout Jewish religious leaders. But, many ‘sinners’ followed Him. 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.'

His words offer a double implication in a sense. Firstly, He explains His mission as a friend of sinners who comes to save lost people. Secondly, Jesus also subtly rebukes the religious leaders who see themselves as righteous and without need of Jesus and the salvation He provides.

Like Jesus, we must have a heartbeat for the least and lost, the sin-sick people in this world. And, unlike the religious leaders, we must not be proud to think we’re better than others - branding others as less spiritual than ourselves.

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