Feb 4: A friend of sinners

Luke 5:30-32 And their scribes and the Pharisees complained against His disciples, saying, “Why do You eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” Jesus answered and said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”

Shortly after calling His first few disciples to follow Him, Jesus sees a tax collector in his booth and gives him the same invitation as the other disciples: “Follow Me” (Luke 5:27). And without any hesitation we see Levi the tax collector drop everything and follow Him. This scene of Jesus looking at Mathew and calling him is one of my favorite scenes in the Chosen Series: Season 1, Episode 7, 33 min (yes I rewatched it again because I love it so much!). Later in the story, Mathew throws a big dinner party and invites all his friends (mostly tax collectors of course) along with Jesus and the disciples (Luke 5:29). It is here when the religious leaders start complaining of Jesus hanging out with “tax collectors” and “sinners”. I have no idea where these Pharisees came from or who invited them but they seem to be always nosing around people’s businesses looking to find some fault in them. They were the religious police so to speak.

When Jesus heard their complaint, He replied “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.” In other words Jesus was more than happy hanging out with tax collectors and sinners, and would chose them over the religious leaders, anytime. Why? Because He knew they were the ones that needed to hear the good news of the kingdom of God, and had a heart that was willing to hear. Jesus compares them to ‘sick’ people who need a doctor. Flip it around, a doctor exists to serve the sick and not for those who have no problems. A hospital exists to accommodate sick people who need to be treated, not for healthy tourists who are passing by.

The reality is most Christ followers like spending time with other believers with little time to spare for those who do not know Jesus. I am guilty of this often times too. Its comfortable and easy to interact with people who are like minded to us. But difficult and uncomfortable for us as Christians to sit with someone who has no clue of who God is, and introduce God to that person. But our Master was an expert in that. He chose to spend time with the sinners. Look at the stories of Zacchaeus (Luke 19), the woman caught in adultery (John 8), the Samaritan woman (John 4). Jesus not only took the time to speak with them, he radically changed their lives. And that brough great joy to God in the heavens as Jesus himself says “I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance.”

As disciples, we are asked to imitate our Master. If Jesus took the effort to spend time with those who did not know God, so must we. For that we need to have friends outside our spiritual circle. And be comfortable to hang out them with. Let them see the light in you, and be drawn to the One that you and I serve. You might be scared that you will lose your spirituality. Don’t worry, that cannot happen. Because we did not earn the salvation we have. It was a free gift that we received through faith.

Go ahead. Take the effort to meet someone that you normally would not. If you are filled with the light of Christ, it will naturally flow through. You never know how you are going to touch someone’s life – for the better.