Calling Sinners to Repentance
Lesson Text: Mark 2:13-17
Related Scriptures: Matthew 9:9-13; John 1:35-51; I Corinthians 6:9-11
TIME: A.D. 28 PLACE: Capernaum
GOLDEN TEXT—“When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance” (Mark 2:17).
Introduction
Mark presents Jesus as the Servant who was always doing good things for others. The key verse of this book is thought by some to be Mark 10:45, “For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.” The first part of this verse is explained by all the book preceding it, and the last part is explained by what follows. This pivotal verse takes us from Jesus’ ministry to His sacrificial death on the cross.
Jesus’ compassion compelled Him to minister to the spiritual and physical needs of those around Him. As He moved through the early days of His public ministry, He carefully chose a group of men to learn from Him and eventually become spiritual leaders in the church. Among them were some that we would never have picked as candidates for such ministry. His choice of four fishermen might have seemed odd, but who could imagine He would choose a tax collector for Rome?
LESSON OUTLINE
CALLING A DISCIPLE—Mark 2:13-15
DEFENDING A LIFESTYLE—Mark 2:16-17
Exposition: Verse by Verse
CALLING A DISCIPLE
MARK 2:13 And he went forth again by the sea side; and all the multitude resorted unto him, and he taught them. 14 And as he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the receipt of custom, and said unto him, Follow me. And he arose and followed him. 15 And it came to pass, that, as Jesus sat at meat in his house, many publicans and sinners sat also together with Jesus and his disciples: for there were many, and they followed him.
Teaching (Mark 2:13). Jesus’ fame was spreading all over Galilee (1:28). After being gone from Capernaum for a time, He returned to this place that He had made His ministry headquarters (2:1). As soon as the word spread that He was there, four men searched Him out, carrying a paralyzed man. Because of the crowds, the only way they could reach Him was to lower the man from a hole in the roof above Jesus. Upon seeing the paralyzed man and the faith of his friends, Jesus told the man his sins were forgiven (vs. 5). He then sent him on his way, healed and carrying his bed (vss. 11-12).
{There was a mixed reaction to the incident. Most of the people were again amazed and glorified God because of what they had witnessed. The scribes, on the other hand, considered Jesus’ pronouncement of forgiveness blasphemous (vss. 6-7). Although they did not verbalize their thoughts, Jesus knew them and confronted them (vss. 8-10). This appears to be the first such confrontation with the religious leaders.}Q1 Eventually this kind of opposition would lead to Jesus’ death on the cross. Most of the worst opposition came from religious leaders, not common people.
The second incident of opposition is recorded in this week’s text. As soon as Jesus had told the man to take up his bed and go home, Jesus left the house. Perhaps He wanted to be more in the open and not confined within the walls of a house. It appears that most of Jesus’ ministry was out in the open, where He could reach more people with His message. If the religious leaders did not want to believe, He would find listeners among the common people.
{As Jesus walked along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, it did not take long for another crowd to gather around Him. He immediately began to teach them.}Q2 The two Greek verbs in verse 13 indicate progressive or continuous action. The sentence could be literally rendered, “They kept coming to Him, and He kept teaching them.” We know Jesus had much compassion for the people (cf. Mark 6:34) and was always willing to reach out to help meet their spiritual needs. To Him they appeared to be like sheep who had no shepherd, desperately needing guidance and direction.
It is obvious today that people have just as great a need for spiritual instruction. Unbelievers know so little about spiritual truth that we need to constantly be alert to opportunities to help them. If we are sensitive to their spiritual emptiness, we can show the same compassion for them that Jesus had for those listening to Him. It is not just unbelievers who need spiritual instruction, however. Many believers have very little understanding of the Bible and the principles given there for godly living.
Calling (Mark 2:14). {As Jesus was walking along, He passed by a “receipt of custom,” that is, a tax collector’s booth. A man by the name of Levi was operating it. All three of the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) tell about this incident. Both Mark and Luke refer to the man as Levi, while Matthew refers to him as Matthew. He is, in fact, the same Matthew who wrote the Gospel. In Matthew 10:3, where he listed the twelve disciples Jesus had chosen, he referred to himself as “Matthew the publican,” which is the same as “Matthew the tax collector.”
This is probably a sincere demonstration of his humility, for in referring to himself as a tax collector, Matthew indicated that he was once a man hated by his own people. The implication is that God had been gracious to him, allowing him to be a disciple of Jesus in spite of his past record.}Q3 How encouraging it is to know that when people come into a right relationship with the Lord, God does not hold their past against them! Our merciful God is willing to forgive us and allow us to enjoy an intimate relationship with Him.
“Tax collectors were some of the most hated people in Israel. In order to be a tax collector, a person had to purchase the rights for this business from Rome.… He could then charge whatever tax he wanted in order to recoup the money he paid to Rome.… Tax collectors were considered traitors and extortioners. They were not allowed to be witnesses or judges in court because they were considered untrustworthy. They were excommunicated from the synagogue” (Cooper, Mark, Broadman).
{When Jesus issued the invitation to Levi to follow Him, Levi immediately arose from his booth and followed. Luke says, “And he left all, rose up, and followed him” (5:28).}Q4 There is more to this statement than the simple fact it conveys, however, for tax collectors were in a very lucrative business. They could charge whatever they wanted in order to pay Rome, and people could not refuse them. Because they could build into the taxes any amount of profit they wanted for themselves, they were widely hated.
Jesus called to be a disciple a man who was banned from all religious fellowship and whose money was considered tainted and defiled. Even though he was hated by people, Levi was loved by God. When given the opportunity to serve Him, he responded with all his heart. We never know whom we might be reaching for Christ when we witness faithfully.
Associating (Mark 2:15). According to Luke 5:29, Levi followed his call by hosting a feast in his house in honor of Jesus. Just as any of us would do, he invited the people he knew best. This resulted in a good number of tax collectors and sinners, for that was the realm in which Levi lived.
Levi’s immediate response to Jesus’ call reveals that he was probably already under conviction about his lifestyle and was looking for a way to change the direction of his life. That did not mean, however, that all past associations immediately disappeared. Levi wanted to honor his new Master and Teacher, so he invited his acquaintances to a feast.
Jesus did not hesitate to attend. It is easy for Christians to feel very uncomfortable in the presence of a gathering of unbelievers. If we do not work among them on a daily basis, we might feel isolated from the realities of their world and uncomfortable when we encounter them.
{Jesus apparently saw this as an opportunity to reach into their lives with the truth. Because of Matthew’s financial means, he was able to host “a great feast” (Luke 5:29). We have no idea how many were in attendance, but we do know there were many present who needed to hear the message Jesus was preaching. In order to reach them, Jesus knew He had to associate with them without making them think He felt superior to them. Thus, as Mark 2:15 observes, He “sat at meat” with them, meaning He reclined at the table with them as they all ate.
We must remember that among the many who were following Jesus at this time were some He could never have reached in the synagogues; they had been banned from there. Mark specifically mentioned that Jesus’ disciples were present, as were many others who followed Him.}Q5 It must have been quite an experience for these new disciples to witness Jesus’ interaction with the sinners of the world. We cannot help wondering how we would have felt in that situation. Perhaps this will remind us of the importance of reaching sinners.
DEFENDING A LIFESTYLE
16 And when the scribes and Pharisees saw him eat with publicans and sinners, they said unto his disciples, How is it that he eateth and drinketh with publicans and sinners?
17 When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
Criticized (Mark 2:16). We noted earlier that this is the second recorded occasion on which Jesus received opposition and criticism from the religious leaders. Once again, the scribes were the ones who caused the problem. A literal rendering of some Greek manuscripts here would say “the scribes of the Pharisees.” That might suggest that there were not two different categories of religious leaders present. These were some of the teachers who prided themselves on being the most learned interpreters of what God had said to mankind through the Mosaic Law.
{“These Pharisees, with their young theological students, had come for the purpose of criticism, and the occasion was not long lacking. As they stood beside the wall of the long banquet hall, these … hypocrites affected to be horrified that Jesus and His disciples should be eating with publicans and sinners—the pariahs of society!” (Shepard, The Christ of the Gospels, Eerdmans).}Q6 They were not present merely out of curiosity or to be an encouragement; they were there specifically to find fault.
{It was Jesus’ disciples who were addressed by the scribes, not Jesus Himself. There is almost a touch of humor in this, for it appears they did not want to risk addressing Jesus directly.}Q7 To understand their fear, we need to recall their previous encounter with Him. When the paralyzed man had been let down in front of Him, they had thought in their hearts that He was speaking blasphemies against God in telling the man his sins were forgiven (Mark 2:7). Jesus immediately asked them why they were thinking these things.
Jesus then asked, “Whether is it easier to say to the sick of the palsy, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and take up thy bed, and walk?” (vs. 9). Jesus meant it was easy to tell someone his sins were forgiven without there being any physical proof. It was impossible, however, to tell a paralyzed person to get up, pick up his bed, and walk without the proof of the power to heal being immediately obvious. Upon telling the man to get up and walk, Jesus proved instantly that He also had the authority to forgive his sins.
This incident left the scribes with nothing further to say. They had been exposed in front of all the people and had no way to refute Jesus and redeem themselves! It is not surprising that they sought to avoid another direct confrontation with Him; therefore, it was to His disciples that they accusingly posed the question, “How is it that he eateth and drinketh with publicans and sinners?” (vs. 16). Perhaps they realized that Jesus’ disciples were still inexperienced and would not be able to give a ready response. It was an underhanded method of criticism.
Responding (Mark 2:17). The scribes apparently had not learned their lesson from the previous encounter. If Jesus could read their thoughts, He certainly could hear what they were muttering to His disciples. Instead of allowing His disciples to come up with an answer to the scribes, Jesus addressed them Himself.
{It might be good to remind ourselves that by “sinners,” the Pharisees were possibly referring to anyone who did not live by the rigid standards they had set based on their interpretation of the law.}Q8 They probably viewed themselves as the only righteous ones there. They had separated themselves from all they considered sinners, and they had a very superior attitude. This is something we should constantly be on guard against. It is easy to develop the attitude that anyone who does not agree in every little detail with us is wrong.
Doctrinal purity is important, but there are many issues the Bible simply does not address, and we need to be careful not to make issues out of those things. It is possible to have wonderful Christian fellowship with those who do not interpret every passage the same way we do or have the same standards of living that we have. While we should develop personal convictions as to how God wants us to live, we must be gracious and loving toward those who might not share all those convictions.
{Jesus succinctly explained His presence by stating that people who are not sick do not need a doctor but that those who are sick do. In the same way, He did not come for the purpose of calling righteous people to repentance; rather, He came to reach sinners.}Q9 He was associating with them because they were the ones who needed Him the most. What He had to offer was salvation from their sins, and they would be the ones who could most easily recognize their spiritual condition.
{Although He did not specifically say so, there is a hint in Jesus’ response that He knew the scribes considered themselves to be righteous already and thus not in need of anything from Him. As self-righteous ones, they could not recognize their own need for repentance.}Q10 They were spiritually sick but saw no need for the One who could heal them. Levi (Matthew) was one who instantly recognized his spiritual need. His immediate response and subsequent ministry shows us how God can use those who obey Him. —Keith E. Eggert
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