Mark 2:17 (LSB) 17 And hearing this, Jesus said to them, “Those who are healthy do not have need for a physician, but only those who are sick; I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
Over the last few weeks, God has been showing us how critical it is for us, as followers of Christ, to really get the truth in this verse ingrained into us.
We must get this into our spirits and live it out.
Prior to this verse, a scene is described where Jesus is dining with many different people, including some who were looked down on by the Jews, and labeled as sinners.
The sinners included tax collectors and irreligious Jews.
Tax collectors were frowned upon by the Jews for being agents of the Roman government, collecting the taxes for the empire that was in power at that time.
Many of the tax collectors were Jews themselves, which is why they were looked down upon so badly.
Among the sinners referred to by the Pharisees were also others who were Jews by birth but who chose not to follow the tenets of the Jewish religion.
The Pharisees spoke out, reasoning that because Jesus spent time with these people, He was surely not the long-awaited Messiah; the holy One spoken of by the Old Testament prophets.
Hearing them, Jesus addressed their concerns, stating that it was not the so-called righteous who need Him, but those who were sinners, likening them to the sick needing a doctor.
Years ago, we were attending a church that was local to where we lived. On a particular Sunday, an incident took place that left a large impression on me. I did not witness it directly, but I spoke with those who did.
A woman had walked into the church sanctuary and was not dressed the way some thought she should be dressed.
Upon seeing this, some people told her that her clothing was not acceptable and asked her to leave. She was clearly not welcome there.
As she turned to leave, another family who had witnessed what had just happened told her that she was more than welcome to sit with them. The woman sat with them, but whether she returned to that church is unknown.
The people who had asked her to leave had failed her miserably, forgetting the very lesson Jesus taught in the verse above.
We must get this right!
Jesus willingly sacrificed His life for me, for you, and for every other “sinner” who will ever live.
Let us not turn them away from the very One who can wash them of their sins and make them a new creation; Christ Jesus, the long-awaited Messiah, the King of kings and Lord of lords.
Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie
Seven Seas Ministries
49 N Lamplighters Walk
Hampstead, NC 28443
401-439-3780
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