Matthew 9:9-13 Eating With Sinners

As Jesus went on from there, He saw a man called Matthew, sitting in the tax collector's booth; and He said to him, "Follow Me!" And he got up and followed Him.  Then it happened that as Jesus was reclining at the table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were dining with Jesus and His disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they said to His disciples, "Why is your Teacher eating with the tax collectors and sinners?" But when Jesus heard this, He said, " It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick.  But go and learn what this means: 'I desire  compassion , and not sacrifice ,' for I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners." [Matthew 9:9‭-‬13 NASB]

Religious people today are not much different than they were 2000 years ago. I don't know very many Christians who would sit down and eat with an abortion provider. And it's in the news that Christians are denying service to gay people. Not only that, they are receiving awards from other Christians for their denial of service. This is not the example that Jesus set.

Consider who Jesus ate with. Tax collectors of the time weren't like the IRS who have to go through a legal process to get your taxes. The tax collectors of Jesus' time were considered even worse than Gentiles. They were traitors. They collaborated with Rome in the oppression of Israel. Their methods were heavy handed. They didn't only sit in an office waiting for taxes to come in. Rather, they forced their way into peoples homes and took what they wanted. They didn't typically limit what they took to taxable goods, but took the best items out of the home for their personal gain.

Tax collectors were the most despised people in Israel, even more than the Romans. Jesus sat and ate with them, and called one of them to be his disciple.

If Jesus followed the example of many modern Christians, He would have picketed the tax collector's booth, and called him out to his face by calling him a traitor, and an evil man. And the gospel of Matthew would not exist.

By showing them acceptance and love - not judgement - Jesus was able to win the hearts of the lost.

"Sinner's" in this context refers to irreligious Jews. In the church today, they would be comparable to non-Christians. The level of their sin is irrelevant, whether they were thieves and carousers or "good" people going about their business. They were not worshipers of God.

We too, were sinners before we came to Jesus. "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." [Romans 5:8 NASB]

Personally, I am very glad that I met a Christian who was willing to spend time with me -  a non-Christian. It was through his acceptance of me, and his example that I came to know Jesus as my Lord.

Instead of judging the world, let's accept it for what it is; lost and in need of a Savior. The world is sick and needs the Physician.