As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth. “Follow me,” he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him. While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” (Matthew 9:9-13)
Did you know that the word Pharisees means “the separated ones”?
When I learned that, it helped me put the Pharisees’ indignation at Jesus’ actions here—as well as Jesus’ response—in perspective a little better.
The Pharisees were known for their strict observance of God’s written law (what Christians know as the Old Testament), as well as the oral, man-made traditions and rules concerning the law. They went to great lengths to be pure and holy, often distancing themselves . . . separating themselves . . . from “tax collectors and sinners.”
Is it any wonder that so many Pharisees balked at the thought of Jesus being the Son of God? He didn’t distance himself from unholy people. He associated with tax collectors and sinners—and ate with them! How could Jesus be the Messiah? Shouldn’t he have been more like the Pharisees?
“It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
Whoa.
With that pointed rebuke, Jesus was reminding the Pharisees—some of Israel’s religious leaders—about the desperate condition the Son of God came to heal: sin.
With that pointed rebuke, Jesus was also lovingly warning the Pharisees that their mindset, their motivation, was all wrong.
The Pharisees were ignoring the physical and spiritual needs of their fellow Jews because of their “holier-than-thou” separation from the sinful society around them. They thought they could earn their way into heaven by following God’s law. In doing so, they completely missed the mark because perfection is the requirement for earning heaven. Outward observances of the law don’t amount to anything when sinful hearts are far from God.
Jesus didn’t come down from heaven to associate only with holy people. If he wanted that, he would have stayed in heaven! No, the Son of God came to seek and save the lost. He came to heal sin-sick souls. He came to call sinners to repentance and offer the forgiveness of sins, fully and freely out of God’s great love for them.
Our Savior Jesus came to save sinners. And thank God that he did! He came to save the Pharisees. He came to save the tax collectors and sinners he ate and drank with. He came to save you and me. By his perfect life, innocent death on the cross, and triumphant resurrection from the grave, Jesus opened the doors to eternal life in heaven for all who believe in him.
As God’s children, that’s the beautiful message we get to share with the people in our lives.
Gospel Motivation: More Than “Jesus Died for My Sins” shows how the law, the gospel, and a life in Christ are all interwoven so that Christians can develop a healthy way of striving for piety, motivated by the gospel. By focusing on Scripture and by remaining true to God’s Word, this book puts everything into proper perspective for Christians living and serving in God’s kingdom.
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Alex Brown is the marketing and content copywriter at Northwestern Publishing House and a 2023 graduate of Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary with a Master of Divinity degree. He enjoys reading, writing, and spending time in God’s creation with his family.
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