He Came for Sinners: Mark 2:13-17

Introduction

Our text this morning continues along the theme of Jesus’ relationship with sin and sinners. Two weeks ago we were faced with the wonderful truth that Jesus has power to forgive sins. This morning we will see how Jesus relates to sinners and the self-righteous. The text divides nicely into two scenes verses 13-14 and verses 15-17. Both scenes teach us that Jesus not only has the power to forgive sin, but that He calls sinners. Jesus calls sinners is our big idea, so make a literal or mental note of this. Now let us consider each on of these scenes and their insight into the big idea.

Body

To start us off, verses 13 and 14 show us that Jesus calls sinners like the tax-collecting sinner (Repeat).

In this scene, Mark give us another peak into the ministry of Jesus. He commonly went out beside the sea, hence Mark saying again. Jesus didn’t have to find the crowds they were coming to him. As we have seen already in Mark, Jesus isn’t dismissive or hostile to the crowds. However, He also isn’t what we would call a crowd pleaser. Look at the end of verse 13. Mark records, “And he was teaching them.” We may infer that he taught them for some time in a ongoing way.

It also seems that Jesus walked as he was teaching, for look at verse 14, “And as he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaesus sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, ‘Follow me.’” Levi is the disciple we more commonly call Matthew and the writer of the first gospel in our New Testaments. Levi was working his day job which was to collect tax on imported goods as they came through Capernaum from other provinces in Palestine. Land and poll tax were directly gathered by Romans, but taxes on transported goods was contracted locals, including what was likely not observant Jews. It was unlawful for Jews transact business with gentiles. Levi like other tax-collectors was seen as a traitor to his nation and an apostate to his religion. Most tax-collectors built wealth by taking more than what was required. For these reasons Levi was despised by his own countrymen as we will see later. Jesus however, saw and spoke to Levi. He not only saw and spoke to Levi, but invited and commanded him to follow Him. Levi’s response is sudden and obedient, read the remainder of verse 14, “And he rose and followed him.”

Levi was working his day job which was to collect tax on imported goods as they came through Capernaum from other provinces in Palestine. Land and poll tax were directly gathered by Romans, but taxes on transported goods was contracted locals, including what was likely not observant Jews. It was unlawful for Jews transact business with gentiles. Levi like other tax-collectors was seen as a traitor to his nation and an apostate to his religion. Most tax-collectors built wealth by taking more than what was required. For these reasons Levi was despised by his own countrymen as we will see later. Jesus however, saw and spoke to Levi. He not only saw and spoke to Levi, but invited and commanded him to follow Him.

If we were to illustrate what is going on here, we might liken it to Jesus stopping to ask a man to follow Him who stock piled on basic necessities, like food, medicine, water, and toilet paper to turn a profit during a pandemic when supplies are low. This man would understandably be disliked by his fellow countrymen. He may even be thought to be irredeemable. Many people would have thought the same thing of Levi, but Jesus didn’t. Instead, freely of His own grace and mercy, Jesus extended an invitation and command to Levi. The Jewish traitor and apostate, was invited to follow the true Jew.

From this scene you should know like Levi you are not too far gone or too bad. Your past and present may be checkered with all kinds of wicked thoughts and deeds, but Jesus came for sinners like you. Jesus calls everyone everywhere to believe on Him for salvation. Jesus came to give His life as ransom for sinners. Whoever you are and whatever you have done or are doing, it is not too late and you are not too bad for Jesus to save. Jesus can change your life.

So if you have not believed on Jesus because you believe He could or would never come for sinner like you, look at Levi, a traitor and apostate. Jesus called Him and Levi followed Him. Jesus through this passage and through me is calling you to follow Him. Forsake your rebellion. You are a sinner, but let your sin propel you to the one who can redeem you.

Christian, let this scene humble you. Jesus came for sinners and you are a redeemed sinner. Therefore, preach the gospel and invite the people society and even you may deem irredeemable to come to Jesus for salvation. Preach Him to the rich and poor, the healthy and sick, the popular and hated, the powerful and powerless, those near and those far, and everyone in between.

The gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ alone can save sinners and that gospel as our first scene has shows us that Jesus call sinners like the tax-collecting sinner.

Not only are we shown that Jesus call sinners like the tax-collecting sinner, but that Jesus calls sinners unlike the self-righteous scribes (Repeat).

You can draw such a conclusion from verse 15-17. This next scene is in the home of Levi and at a dinner. Those in attendance include the dredges of Jewish society. Jesus dinned with sinners and tax-collectors. Read verse 15, “And as he recline at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners were reclining with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many followed him.” Jesus was popular, but the crowd that followed Him was not the great of society, but the lowest of the low. Though the house belonged to Levi, the text places Jesus at the center as the host of the dinner party. Here we see that Jesus not only can forgive sins, but that He can and does forgive sinners. Grace is radical and irrespective of types of people.

This grace was seen as scandalous by the scribes of the Pharisees. The Pharisees were pious Jewish laypeople who had great cultural influence. They followed the written Law of God and the oral traditions that sought to explain and expand it. Their traditions eventually became equal in authority to the Scriptures themselves. The Scribes of this scened belonged to the Pharisees. When the Pharisees witnessed Jesus extending love and grace before requiring repentance, it led them to ask Jesus’ disciples a question. Look at the end of verse 16, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?” Jesus overheard there question, so He offered His answer. Follow along in verse 17, “he said to them, ‘those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.” This final line give us the nature of Jesus mission and discribes two types of people.

First, there are those who are strong and righteous. It is not that they are actually strong or righteous, but that they think themselves to be. A person who thinks themselves healthy will not seek the help of a doctor. A person who see himself as righteous will not heed the call of the Redeemer. Those like the scribes are not righteous before God, but self-righteous. They need a redeemer, as much as the tax-collectors and sinners.

Second, there are those who are sick and sinners. The sick are those who perceive there need and accept medical care. Sinners are those who who know their state as wretched before God. When they see the Redeemer and hear His call, they run to Him.

As a rich man perceives himself to have little need for God, so the self-righteous man sees no need for forgiveness, nor hope for the redemption of those less righteous than he.

Jesus calls sinners. Some very late manuscripts include the words “to repentance,” which likely came as result of reading Luke which includes those words in its earliest manuscripts. Mark and Matthew normally are less detailed than Luke, so it is no surprise they wouldn’t include the words. However, it makes little difference here whether the words “to repentance” are here. Jesus calls sinners to repentance. The proper response to Jesus’ call includes what scripture calls repentance, which is turning from sin. Jesus doesn’t say here how sinners can repent, we are told elsewhere that it is through the washing of regeneration or the new birth that leads to repentance. Thus, repentance comes as a result of the outward call, which is preaching, and the effectual call, which is the work of the Holy Spirit that brings about the New Birth. All of that to say, that one must have their sinful condition revealed to them by God through His word before they see need of a Savior or repentance.

In this scene, we have seen that Jesus came to call sinners and not the self-righteous. You can learn something from the scribes in this passage. You aren’t good enough and can’t be good enough on your own merit. You, even if you are unaware of it, are sinner before God, falling short of His glory every day. You are spiritually sick and the sickness has penetrated every part of you. Don’t think like the Pharisees and their scribes. You need the great physician and you need the redeemer. You need salvation. God’s judgement is based upon His perfect righteous character, He will only accept those who are righteous into His eternal kingdom. You, however, are a sinner. God in Christ has brought about redemption for those who trust in Christ. Those who trust in Him have their sins paid for by His death, their sins forgiven, and His righteousness is given to them. At the final judgement, they will be judged as worthy of the kingdom of God, not by their merits, but by the merits of Jesus Christ.

Unbeliever, if you think you are fine the way you are, then you need to here what I’m saying. YOU ARE NOT FINE. YOU NEED SALVATION BECAUSE YOU ARE A SINNER. You have worshiped things other than God, you have fashioned idols, you have spoken of God flippantly, you have forsaken the Lord’s Day, you have dishonored your parents, you have murdered, you have committed adultery, you have stolen, you have lied, and you have coveted. You have broken the Law of God which is a reflection of His eternal and perfect character. It is the mark He has set for all us, and you have missed it. Each sin is an assault on the character of God and eternally offensive to Him. You cannot pull up your bootstraps and rough it to the kingdom of God. You have no boots or straps. You have no inherent desire to change. You are dead like Lazarus was in the tomb. You need a savior who can redeem and transform you. Jesus is that savior. You aren’t too good for Jesus like the Scribes thought they were. You need Him, so come to Him.

Christian, your response to the message from this scene, should not be pride, but humble gratitude. Jesus came for a sinner like you. He saved a sinner like you. He transformed a sinner like you. He did this not because of something good within you. He did this because of His own good pleasure and love in spite of all the wickedness that was within you. You have the greatest reason for joy, obedience, and humility. You are a sinner who has been redeemed. Rejoice. Also, like Jesus, you should now not fear associating with the lowly, outcast, or sinner. You should like Christ invite all types of people to come to Jesus for salvation. You should like Paul see that you by nature are no better than the people you speak with. Jesus came for sinners of whom you are included. So tell people about sin and the savior who can redeem them. Tell them of the coming judgement and the only one who can make them righteous. Tell them of heaven and the one who gives them access to it. In summary, tell people about Jesus and call on them to trust in Him for salvation. Jesus has given you ample reason for humility and has commissioned you to tell of His glorious salvation.

Conclusion

This morning God has reminded us through the Words He inspired Mark to right that Jesus calls sinners (1) like the tax-collecting sinner and (2) unlike the self-righteous scribes. The Scribes failed to understand that their righteousness before God wasn’t enough to merit them eternal life or even right standing before God. What Isaiah says is true, even our good work are filthy rags to God. Levi on his own merit stood very much in the same position as the scribes, but Jesus called him and he followed. Levi had come to understand His need for Jesus, this revelation of course didn’t come from within but by the miraculous work of God the Holy Spirit. That said, the Scribes had all the information they needed to make a concious and informed decision about Jesus. Instead of admitting their need for Him they hardened their hearts, rejecting Him and mocking those who accepted Him.

I say to you now, there are only two kinds of people in life. Those who try to enter eternal-life through their own righteousness or those who enter heaven by the righteousness of Jesus Christ. Those who try on their own will find their works to be insufficient and come under judgement. Those who in faith rely on Christ in His person and work will find their sins forgiven, His righteousness given to them, and His inheritance of eternal resurrection life given freely unto them. Have you trusted in Jesus who calls sinners? If so, rejoice. If not, today is as good of day as any. Trust in Jesus. You are not too bad for His sacrifice to cover your sins. You are not good enough for your works to grant you eternal life. Jesus came for sinners like you. Trust Him. He will not turn you away.