Advent Day 18: Jesus Came to Call Sinners

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.” 

(Mark 2:17 ESV)

The Pharisees couldn't believe what they were seeing.  Jesus, a man that claimed to be godly, invited a tax collector named Levi to follow him.  Then Jesus did the unthinkable.  He actually went and had dinner with many tax collectors and sinners. They couldn't believe Jesus would do something so ungodly.  When Jesus heard about their grumbling he said, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.  I came not to call the righteous, but sinners" (Mark 2:17)

Imagine a doctor that refused to be around sick people.  He refused to go into a hospital because the risk of getting sick would be far too great.  If he got sick, he wouldn't be able to care for his healthy patients. The sign on the front door of his office read, "Healthy check-ups only.  No sick patients allowed."  In his view his job was simple.  He needed to reassure the healthy people that came to see him that everything was ok.  He helped people by giving them peace of mind about their good health. If he discovered one of his patients was sick, he would immediately remove them from his practice so that they couldn't infect any of the other patients.  They were allowed to come back when they got better.

Nobody would want that doctor. There would be no doctor of the year awards to hang on his wall. His community would mock and deride him.  

Yet, Jesus says this is what the Pharisees wanted.  They wanted their leaders to only spend time with people who saw themselves as righteous.  To do otherwise would make them unclean.  Therefore, only the righteous received their attention.  

Jesus, however, came to this world with another purpose.  He wasn't interested in the people who thought they were spiritually healthy. He wanted to spend time with the sick sinners because they needed him.

Jesus didn't come to earth because of how great we are.  He came because we were in desperate need of a Savior that could make us well and save us from our eternal death sentence.  The manger is not a reminder of the greatness of humanity, but of our great wickedness.  Praise God that Jesus was willing to come dwell among sinners like you and me!

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