“Healthy people do not need a doctor, but only the sick do. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

As Jesus was walking along, He saw Levi sitting at the tax collector's booth and said, "Follow me."  Levi got up and followed Him, and not only that, he invited Jesus to his house.   At the house, Jesus sat and ate with many tax collectors and sinners who followed Him. When the Pharisees and the teachers of the law (scribes) saw this, they asked Jesus' disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?"  When Jesus heard this, He said, "Healthy people do not need a doctor, but only the sick do. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners" (Mark 2:14-17, Korean Modern Bible).  As I reflect on this passage, several thoughts come to mind:

(1)    It is quite interesting that Jesus called Levi ["Matthew" (Matthew 9:9)].

The reason is that Levi, as a tax collector, belonged to a group of sinners who were thoroughly despised and hated by his fellow Jews at that time (Hokma).  This is because tax collectors were particularly notorious for being contracted by the rulers to collect taxes, often draining the people's blood and engaging in various forms of exploitation, and in the case of Levi, he collected irregular taxes on goods passing through borders, which he handed over to the Roman government (Hokma).  Why did Jesus call such a person to be His disciple?  The answer can be found in 1 Corinthians 1:27-29 in the Korean Modern Bible: "But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.  He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before Him."  Perhaps the reason Jesus called Levi, a despised person" in the eyes of the Jews, was to "shame the wise and the strong" of the world, and to prevent him from "boasting before God."

(2)    It is interesting that Jesus accepted Levi's invitation and went to his house to eat with "many tax collectors and sinners."

The reason this is interesting is that Jesus must have known that by eating with Levi and the "many tax collectors and sinners" (Mark 2:15, 16, Korean Modern Bible), He would certainly be criticized by the Pharisees and teachers of the law, who were closely watching His every move.  In fact, they asked Jesus' disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?" (v.  16, Korean Modern Bible).  As we know, in Galatians 2:11-14, the Apostle Peter, while eating with Gentile believers in Antioch, left the table when certain Jews came from Jerusalem, fearing that they might accuse him of breaking the custom by eating with Gentiles. "The reason Peter acted this way was because, according to the customs of the Jews who considered themselves devout at the time, eating with Gentiles was prohibited" (Acts 10:28, 11:3) (Internet).  Ultimately, Peter, due to Jewish customs, broke God's commandments (Ref: Matthew 15:3) and did not continue to eat with Gentiles, unlike Jesus.  As a result, he was rebuked by the Apostle Paul in front of many people (Galatians 2:11).  Today, we should not be afraid to eat with "sinners," whom many Christians tend to judge and avoid, even if only in our hearts.

(3)    It is interesting that when Jesus heard what the Pharisees and teachers of the law said to His disciples, He responded, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners" (Mark 2:17, Korean Modern Bible).

The reason this is interesting is that, as the spiritual doctor, Jesus was indeed saying that He had come to call those whom the Pharisees and teachers of the law referred to as "sinners" ("sick people").  This statement indicates that the law scholars, who sought to be justified by observing the law, viewed themselves as "healthy" and "righteous," and therefore, Jesus was not calling them.  Those who know they are sick will naturally recognize they need a doctor.  Likewise, those who know they are sinners will recognize they need Jesus, who forgives sins.  "In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace" (Ephesians 1:7, Korean Modern Bible).  "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast" (2:8-9, Korean Modern Bible).