Part 8: The Healthy and the Sick
“And as Jesus passed forth from thence, he saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he saith unto him, Follow me. And he arose, and followed him. And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples. And when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto his disciples, Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners? But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick. But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” Matthew 9:9-13 KJV
Right before this passage we read of a paralytic who was brought to Jesus. Strangely enough, the first words Jesus spoke to him was, “Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee.” (9:2) I can just imagine one of the disciples nudging Jesus and whispering, “I don’t think that’s why he’s here.” But Jesus did this on purpose to pinpoint that there is a condition much worse than being paralyzed or sick. It was much more important for the man’s sins to be forgiven than for him to be healed of his disability – Jesus saw his biggest need. The fact that Jesus gave him the ability to walk again afterwards, was just a bonus (9:6-7).
It is into this context that we read of the calling of Matthew. Tax collectors were detested by society in those days, for obvious reasons. They were usually Jewish men who were employed by Roman citizens and conned their fellow-Jews while filling their own pockets. No doubt a lot of bribery and blackmailing took place, as happens today as well (New Bible Commentary). In a sense, we can understand the Pharisees’ disdain at Jesus dining with these people. It would be the equal of Jesus dining with the Guptas in today’s times.
But Jesus’ reaction gives us an explanation. He compared sin to sickness when He said, “They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick.” This is not a new thing. In the Old Testament book, Leviticus, we read about leprosy being a symbol for the sinful nature of man. But does this mean that the Pharisees were “healthy” or “righteous”? Far from it.
The only type of righteousness that the Pharisees and scribes had were self-righteousness. A few chapters back in The Sermon on the Mount, Jesus warned his disciples against the Pharisees’ apparent religiousness and hypocrisy – where outwardly their behaviour seemed righteous, but, inwardly, their hearts were far from God. Wolves in sheep’s clothing.
So deep down the Pharisees were just as sinful as the tax collectors. Jesus was saying that He came for those who realized and confessed their sinful natures, not for those who supposed they were righteous of their own accord, such as the Pharisees and scribes.
This just shows us again that we cannot save ourselves. It doesn’t matter if we have been born into a Christian family, are the CEO of a welfare organization or won the NOBEL peace prize for that matter. If we cannot become meek and admit our gravest “illness” to the Great Physician, we will never receive the Cure. Have you done this yet?
The calling of Matthew is a beautiful picture of repentance – when Jesus called him he instantly answered, leaving everything – making a 180° turn from sin to Jesus.
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, let us remember that once we too “were dead in trespasses and sins; wherein in time past ye walked” (Ephesians 2:1). Heaven will not be a place full of self-righteous people, but a place full of repentant sinners.
Let us not become hypocrites, but rather follow in Jesus’s footsteps in these difficult times; bringing the Gospel of Peace to the sinful, weary and restless amidst the darkness of a global pandemic.
“That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;) That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.” 1 John 1:1-4 KJV
“This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.” 1 John 1:5-10 KJV
“Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ. And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer: or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation.” 2 Corinthians 1:3-6 KJV
“Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place. For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish: To the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things? For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ.” 2 Corinthians 2:14-17 KJV
“But if any have caused grief, he hath not grieved me, but in part: that I may not overcharge you all. Sufficient to such a man is this punishment, which was inflicted of many. So that contrariwise ye ought rather to forgive him, and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow. Wherefore I beseech you that ye would confirm your love toward him. For to this end also did I write, that I might know the proof of you, whether ye be obedient in all things.To whom ye forgive any thing, I forgive also: for if I forgave any thing, to whom I forgave it, for your sakes forgave I it in the person of Christ; lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.” 2 Corinthians 2:5-11 KJV
“Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech: and not as Moses, which put a veil over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished: but their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ. But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart. Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away. Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.” 2 Corinthians 3:12-18 KJV
“Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing. For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death. For behold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge! In all things ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter.” 2 Corinthians 7:9-11 KJV
“But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. For we which live are always delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh. So then death worketh in us, but life in you.” 2 Corinthians 4:7-12 KJV
“For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.
“For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: and that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again. Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more. Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."