58. A Walk With Jesus pt 5b

Background:
Jesus previously healed a paraplegic and went on a walk along the beach. Many people were following Him listening to Him preach when He called out to Levi (Matthew) saying, "Follow Me." Matthew then invites Jesus over to his house for dinner, the crowd also followed, and listened to Jesus teach. Among those in the crowd were publicans (see last blog) and 'sinners'. The term sinners in Greek is hamartōlos, its more than just one who sins, as we all sin, but one who has no regard for the law of God; a person devoted to sin. And Jesus was eating with them?! Yes.

We now continue where our story left off, hearing what the teachers of the law had to say and what Jesus had to say in response.

When the teachers of the law who were Pharisees saw him eating with the "sinners" and tax collectors, they asked his disciples: "Why does he eat with tax collectors and 'sinners'?" Mark 2:16

As Matthew Henry puts it, "Note, Those are too tender of their own good name, who, to preserve it with some nice people, will decline a good work. Christ would not do so." Jesus was not concerned about His own name. He knew who is was, and He knew why He came. He did not need acknowledgement or a pat on the back by the religious leaders, He is God. He explains to them why He came,

On hearing this, Jesus said to them, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners." Mark 2:17

The argument against a loving God, on the basis of "good" people or those considered humanitarians going to Hell is dumb. God does not send people to Hell, we send ourselves. There are good people, but none are perfectly righteous. For had there been even a single soul who was righteous, than the coming and death of our Lord was for nothing. If we could be righteous and get to God on our own merit, than Jesus would had came to earth and preached a feel good message and encouraged as many people as possible to live a really really really good life. But Jesus' response to His disciples asking the same question was this,

"With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26 or Luke 18:27

Jesus had to come, Jesus had to save sinners, to save sinners Jesus had to die.

Application:
Trust in Jesus, He came to save you, because He loves you.
"Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." Acts 4:12