In this daily Bible reading is the account of Jesus dining with ‘tax gatherers and sinners.’ The Pharisees criticized Jesus for associating with sinners. Jesus replied to them, “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick; I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
There was much irony in Jesus’ statement. The Bible says, “All have sinned.” We are all sinners in need of Jesus. So, what was Jesus saying? I believe He was saying that as our spiritual physician, He would only heal those who were aware of their sins.
The Pharisees in Jesus’ day thought themselves to be righteous and free of sin. However, they were sinners, just like those who were dining with Jesus. Unless we are aware of our sins we cannot repent of our sins. Repentance is necessary for forgiveness. We must know we are sinners and sincerely desire to turn away from sins. Once we have this attitude and motivation, then Jesus will forgive us and lead us away from our sins.
