Jesus and Sinners, Luke 5:30-32

"But their scribes and Pharisees murmured against His disciples, saying, Why do Ye eat and drink with publicans [that is, tax collectors] and sinners? And Jesus answering said unto them, They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but the sinners to repentance."

     I think that there are many people who feel that they, for one, do not need to come to Jesus because they are good and moral, upright people. There are also those who hesitate coming to Jesus because they are not good and decent, moral, upright people. They are the "sinners" of society, those who have made a mess of their lives. They have hurt others and hurt themselves, and they feel completely unworthy and thus do not come to Jesus. Both of these groups of people, however, have incorrect views about who Jesus is.
     Jesus Himself proclaimed that He did not come to call the righteous, but the sinners unto repentance. In context, He was declaring this truth to the scribes and Pharisees, who thought themselves to be righteous and sinless because they kept the law outwardly. They scorned Jesus because He ate with those they had cast out, those who had been labeled as "sinners". The ironic thing is, however, that the scribes and Pharisees were just as sinful as those they branded "sinners", if not more so. They kept the law of Moses outwardly, but missed the whole heart of the law and did not worship God, but sought to be praised by men for their ability to keep the law. Jesus rebuked them harshly as hypocrites, saying that they were as white-washed tombs: They had the appearance of holiness, but on the inside they were full of rotting, vile things.
     Those who think that they are good enough not to need Jesus are those who are deceived and have not taken a good look at who they are. They will admit that they are not perfect, yet they will not say that they are a sinner. If they did, they would have to admit that they need a way to remove their sin, and would have to confess a need for a Savior: Jesus. But they are prideful and arrogant, and will not. Jesus said He came not to call the righteous, but the sinner to repentance. But the Bible says there is no one who is righteous, not even one. Jesus is thus declaring (a) that He is calling everyone unto repentance, and (b) that those whose hearts are hardened and who are prideful and arrogant and will not come are not going to be those who inherit the kingdom of God.
     Those people who feel that they are completely unworthy and too sinful to come to God are absolutely correct in their assumption. God is perfect and pure and holy, and no sinner can approach Him. But because Jesus died on the cross and paid for all of that sin, becuase He satisfied the wrath of God, we can all stand before God unshamed and unafraid. We gain the titles of son and daughter and become fellow heirs to the kingdom of God. Jesus is not going to judge us for being rotten sinners-- He already knows we're rotten sinners. That's why He died on the cross. He paid for our sin-- in God's eyes we are clothed in the righteousness of Christ, and thus by faith we are considered pure and holy in God's sight.

     It is important that we take an honest look at our hearts and realize that we truly are sinful and rotten, even down to the very core of our being. When we realize this, we can do nothing else but cry out in repentance to God and call on the name of Jesus Christ, which is the only name given under heaven by which a man may be saved. Through Him we have peace with God and eternal life. Because of Him, we needn't fear the wrath of God, but can stand in His presence for all eternity and cry out, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord, God Almighty, who is and was and is to come!" Amen.