Luke 5.27-32
_27 After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector by the name of Levi sitting at his tax booth. “Follow me,” Jesus said to him, 28 and Levi got up, left everything and followed him. 29 Then Levi held a great banquet for Jesus at his house, and a large crowd of tax collectors and others were eating with them. 30
But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law who belonged to their
sect complained to his disciples, “Why do you eat and drink with tax
collectors and ‘sinners’?”
31 Jesus answered them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 32 I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”
31 Jesus answered them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 32 I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”
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Here we see the religious elite “complaining” to Jesus’
disciples about their fellowship with people they thought they shouldn’t be
hanging out with – people they had a condemning attitude towards. In the eyes of these religious leaders, the
disciples were guilty by association.
Their arrogant thinking was that to show one’s “spirituality” you avoid
those that are “unspiritual”. Based on
this flawed standard, they incorrectly judged that Jesus & His disciples
were doing something wrong. But note
that it is Jesus who answers them. Jesus
came to call sinners (all of us) to repentance (turning from our sin & to
God), bringing help & healing. He
points out that when we are self-righteous (according to our own standard), we
won’t think we need His help. This was
evidenced by the exact attitude the Pharisees & teachers of the law were
displaying.
Instead of being overly pious, we are to practice humility to the point where we are actually willing to reach out to others because we love & care about them. Yet, because we are sinful by nature, we must be careful that we don’t get caught up in doing anything sinful when we’re with those who may not be concerned with God’s standard of morality (1 Cor 15.33, Pr 25.26). We should also avoid situations where it may appear we are doing something sinful, though we are not (Rom 14.16). Christians are not to live in total isolation, but are to be a Godly influence in the world. This demands proper judgment of others’ behavior as well as your own. It is a delicate balance & requires the Lord’s guidance, all the while asking if your participation in various situations with various people will be glorifying to God, detrimental to you &/or helpful in influencing others towards God.
As a result, he does not live the rest of his earthly life for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God. – 1 Pt 4.2
My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I (Jesus) am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. – Jn 17.15-18
Instead of being overly pious, we are to practice humility to the point where we are actually willing to reach out to others because we love & care about them. Yet, because we are sinful by nature, we must be careful that we don’t get caught up in doing anything sinful when we’re with those who may not be concerned with God’s standard of morality (1 Cor 15.33, Pr 25.26). We should also avoid situations where it may appear we are doing something sinful, though we are not (Rom 14.16). Christians are not to live in total isolation, but are to be a Godly influence in the world. This demands proper judgment of others’ behavior as well as your own. It is a delicate balance & requires the Lord’s guidance, all the while asking if your participation in various situations with various people will be glorifying to God, detrimental to you &/or helpful in influencing others towards God.
As a result, he does not live the rest of his earthly life for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God. – 1 Pt 4.2
My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I (Jesus) am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. – Jn 17.15-18
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