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. 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?” 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.” (Mark 2:15-17)
Dear God and Father, as we come into Your Presence please help us to understand Your will for our lives; and when we leave Your Presence, may we be transformed into Your likeness. In the glorious name of Jesus Christ we pray. Amen.
This is our third day on the theme of Jesus, the Friend of Sinners. We started by talking about how friends share everything. Yesterday our emphasis was on Jesus’ unconditional acceptance of sinners; how He called them friends not based on what they do, but on who they are.
Today we are going to look at friendship for what it accomplishes. The friends of Levi Matthew were invited to attend the dinner party with Jesus and His disciples. The scribes and Pharisees criticized Jesus and His disciples for eating and drinking with tax collectors and sinners. For these religious leaders this was unheard of. Oftentimes, the politics of being a shepherd becomes more important than the protection and care we give the sheep.
Thank God, Jesus never forgot what His mission to sinners was while He was here on earth. He never lost sight of our need. And He never stopped loving us. The scribes and Pharisees could recite every word of the law of Moses. They could tell what was wrong in everything Jesus did. But their knowledge of the law did not help them to be better shepherds. Little did they know that it was Jesus who gave the law, and therefore was the only One who knew the right spirit and application of the law.
Even though He knew that He would be criticized for being in the company of these marginalized members of society Christ mingled with them anyway. After all, that was what the Messiah would do. He would preach glad tidings. He would proclaim liberty. People who were set aside, because according to the status quo, they were considered unacceptable were received by the Messiah and treated with love and respect. They were treated as friends.
This was why Jesus came to our world – to bring earth back into friendship with heaven. Jesus was the ladder. He was the Lamb whose blood would break down all walls of separation and bridge the gulf between heaven and earth created by sin.That is why when the religious leaders questioned Christ’s reason for eating and drinking with sinners He explained His reason for coming to earth in these words:
“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.” He came to call us to repentance because that is what friends do, they help their friends. The best Friend to have is Jesus! I pray that you will make Him your Friend today. You will always be happy that you did!