Matthew 9:9-13
9 As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the customs post. He said to him, "Follow me." And he got up and followed him.
10 While he was at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat with Jesus and his disciples.
11 The Pharisees saw this and said to his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?"
12 He heard this and said, "Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do.
13 Go and learn the meaning of the words, 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' I did not come to call the righteous but sinners."
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This is such a great reminder of the Savior that we have. Even though we are sinners, and even though we don't deserve Him at all, He comes to us. He moves into our lives. He eats and drinks with us. He becomes part of us.
This isn't something that just happened once in the past. It happens with us, every day. He sits with us every day, and he gently teaches us. He gives himself to us. He lives within us. And ... he transforms us. He makes us righteous. He doesn't just "call" us righteous or "count" us as righteous. He MAKES us righteous.
If we let Him!
Ahhh, it is the greatest mystery isn't it?? So counter intuitive. Very few people could do that. But notice the tongue in cheek... What he says in Luke is "I did not come to call the righteous but the sinners to REPENTENCE"
ReplyDeleteI've chewed over this sentence many times. Jesus was saying three things
1. We are ALL sinner but those who don't know they are cannot be helped
2. He will not waste his time with those who think they are holy
3. He did not come to make our lives on earth cozy and comfortable. He said he is calling sinners to repent!
His words to the sinners are not judgment but repentence... go and sin no more.
For those of us who live an easy, cushy little life and accept none of the RADICAL (read the book of the same name)teachings of Christ he will move past us to find those hungrey for his word and in anguish becasue of their sin!
It is a wake up message