Read: Matthew 9; Luke 7
Marked: Matthew 9:12-13, When Jesus heard [that,] He said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. But go and learn what [this] means: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’ For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”
Like an illness or disease, sin infects, and infects us all. Jesus called a tax collector, a despised member of society, to follow Him.
Matthew followed immediately, and next, we see Jesus having a meal with other tax collectors and sinners. And the Pharisees saw and immediately called what Jesus did unlawful.
But in God’s economy, eating with those that need mercy and compassion is not unlawful. In fact, those that are sick (sinners) are the ones in need of a physician. And it was for this purpose that Jesus came; not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. And we are all sinners.
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