Why Jesus Came: Jesus Calling

In my first year of college I attended a local community college because I wanted to pursue a career in Golf Course Management, which none of the bigger universities in Minnesota had a designed program for. I wanted to be a Clubhouse Pro; managing the grounds, training and teaching golfers, and spending the rest of my life golfing daily. Not halfway into my first semester did I discover that I hated almost everything about business and management; I wasn’t especially gifted in teaching golf either since I myself learned by watching and imitating Tiger Woods on TV; Not to mention there wouldn’t be much room in my daily schedule to actually play the game I loved if I had a business to run, clubhouse activities to organize, and had to determine what sort of grass seed to sow and how much fertilizer to apply to the grounds each year!

However, despite discovering that my calling was not the country club but the local church, I did walk away having learned a thing or two. One piece of information that I distinctly recall learning was in my Sport Management and Business course. It was in that class that each student had to craft their own business, cast a vision for that business, and create a mission statement for that business. I don’t have the faintest idea what business I imagined, nor what the vision or mission statement was for the business. But I do remember the differences and essentials of a vision statement and mission statement.

While a vision statement explains your goals for the future, a mission statement describes your goals and values by explaining what you do, how you do it, who you serve, and what makes you unique. There are really four ingredients that make up the best mission statements. 1) It needs to be simple; using common language stating your purposes clearly. 2) It needs to be compelling; that is relatable and inspiring to those you intend to reach. 3) It needs to be measurable; there should be a set target or benchmark that tells you and others if you are fulfilling your mission. And 4) it needs to be relevant; is your mission serving the people you intend to reach at all times and in all places?

So, again, a mission statement explains what you do, how you do it, for whom you do it, and what is unique about what you do.

Throughout the four Gospel accounts we read again and again that Jesus had His own mission. In fact, Jesus Himself, in 20 different instances, shares with us His mission statement. 20 times Jesus says, “I came to”, or “This is why I came”, or “I have been sent to”. I won’t run through them with you now, maybe I’ll write a book on them one day, but you may be surprised to read what Jesus claimed to be His mission on this earth.

One of the 20 mission statements that come from the lips of Jesus in the Gospels appear in our text this morning, Mark 2:13-17. Turn there with me and listen closely to why Jesus came according to Jesus Himself.

Mark 2:13–14 ESV

He went out again beside the sea, and all the crowd was coming to him, and he was teaching them. And as he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him.

Mark 2:15–17 ESV

And as he reclined at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners were reclining with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. And the scribes of the Pharisees, when they saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, said to his disciples, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?” And when Jesus heard it, 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 same mission statement from Jesus can be found in Levi’s Gospel, in Matthew 9:13, Matthew is Levi’s other name if you weren’t aware, and it can also be found in Luke 5:32. Luke phrases Jesus’ statement a little differently. Luke records Jesus as saying, “I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” That really gets at the heart of the purpose of Jesus’ mission. Why did Jesus come? To call sinners. To call sinners to what? Remain sinners? No, He calls sinners to repentance. Jesus calls them to a change of mind, heart, and will. He came to call the lost, undesirable rebel to Himself. That is what we are going to dwell on today.

Theme: Jesus came to call strays, scoundrels, and sinners to Himself.

Jesus’ statement contains those four necessary ingredients that make up a good mission statement. His mission is stated in simple and powerfully clear terms. It is compelling; relatable and inspiring. It is measurable; its success can be quantified. And it is relevant, reaching people from all walks of life, in all time periods, and in all places of the world.

And so it is my desire that we would have clarity as to why Christ came and we would see that His mission is still relevant today.

What does Jesus do?

For Whom does Jesus do this?

How does Jesus do this?

What is unique about Jesus doing this?

To have that clarity and to see the relevance of Jesus’ mission, I want us to ask and answer those four questions that any good mission statement should be able to address. I believe Jesus’ mission statement in Mark 2:17, as well as His activities throughout the rest of our text, tell us what Jesus does, for whom He does this, how He does this, and what is unique about Jesus doing this. Keep those four questions in mind as we walk through this passage. To help you do that, I’ve posted them on the top of the sermon outline in your bulletin so that you can reference them when needed.

1. Jesus seeks the stray.

Let’s begin in verses 13 and 14, zeroing in firstly on what Jesus does and for whom He does it. As a whole, these two verses tell us that Jesus seeks the stray.

In verse 13, we see that Jesus has once again left the city of Capernaum. This time, He is followed by a crowd desiring to travel with Him for a ways. Instead of quickening His pace to avoid the clingy crowd, Jesus turned this into an opportunity to teach as He walked on what probably would have been a popular trade route near the Sea of Galilee.

It was as He was teaching that we notice in verse 14 that Jesus was scanning His surroundings for a certain individual. Listen carefully to what Mark recounts:

Mark 2:14 ESV

And as he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him.

This harkens us back to chapter one where Jesus was “passing alongside the Sea of Galilee and He saw...”. There was a purpose in His gait and in His gaze. Just as He sought out the fishermen Simon, Andrew, James, and John, now Jesus sought out Levi, or Matthew as he would be commonly called in the other Gospels.

Now, who is Levi? Actually, that might be the wrong question to ask. You see, to the Jewish community, Levi, although he was most certainly a Jew himself, was not considered a “who”. He was more of a “what”. To the Jews, what Levi was was more important than who Levi was.

So what was Levi? Levi was a tax collector. Or more accurately stated, a tax farmer. The Roman Empire collected their taxes through a system called “tax farming”, similar to farming out large franchises like Chick-fil-a. The Empire would appraise a district for a fixed tax and then sold the rights to collect that tax to the highest bidders. The buyer then would collect that fixed tax for the year and give it to Rome, but could keep whatever was they gathered above that amount.

There were several ways that people were taxed. There were three official taxes Rome required. There was the poll tax, which was basically just a tax for living in the Empire if you were between 12 and 65. There was the land tax, which was for 5% to 10% of your harvest of wine or grain. There was also an income tax, which was for 1% of a person’s wages.

Then there were the unofficial taxes that tax collectors would enforce. There was the toll tax, which was for traveling on the main trade roads. The tax collector would count how many wheels your cart had or how many mules were in your company and require a toll for you to pass. Then they would also tax you on what you were hauling. They’d count the number of fish you caught to take to market and tax you on that. And by the way, this tax was never a fixed amount. One day, the collector would tax you 3% of what your fish might sell for, but then the next day they might decide that fish were going to sell for a higher amount and tax you 15%. It was all very arbitrary and subjective, not to mention frustrating and costly to the people.

Because of this, it was very easy for tax collectors to exploit people and abuse their position. Most tax collectors, maybe not all, but certainly most were cheats, liars, and thieves, all to make an extra buck.

So, to the Jews, tax collectors were some of the most despised and loathed of society. Tax collectors were viewed as the scum of the earth, traitors even because they forsook their own people to serve the Romans. Whenever the Jews spoke of tax collectors they often grouped them with harlots, thieves, and murderers. That was because a tax collector prostituted themselves to Rome, stole from their own country men, and could very much tax a person out of their livelihood. For that reason, tax collectors like Levi weren’t allowed in a Jewish home or synagogue because they were viewed as unclean. They were abandoned by their own people and often disowned by their families.

In a very real sense, Levi was a stray. No home. No people. Viewed as a stranger to God and spiritually lost.

And that is what makes what Jesus did for Levi so mercifully good! What does Jesus do? He seeks. For whom does Jesus seek? Levi; this stranger wandering without a people; this sheep straying from the fold of God.

And how does Jesus seek the stray? I want to touch on one basic way quickly, which is:

Jesus personally seeks. That may seem obvious, but should not be overlooked. Jesus Himself is the one who seeks Levi out. The Shepherd searches for His sheep. Indeed that is the imagery of the LORD in Ezekiel 34. Look at what the LORD promised He Himself would do:

Ezekiel 34:11–13 ESV

“For thus says the Lord God: Behold, I, I myself will search for my sheep and will seek them out. As a shepherd seeks out his flock when he is among his sheep that have been scattered, so will I seek out my sheep, and I will rescue them from all places where they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness. And I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries, and will bring them into their own land. And I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the ravines, and in all the inhabited places of the country.

Ezekiel 34:14–16 ESV

I will feed them with good pasture, and on the mountain heights of Israel shall be their grazing land. There they shall lie down in good grazing land, and on rich pasture they shall feed on the mountains of Israel. I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I myself will make them lie down, declares the Lord God. I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, and the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them in justice.

That imagery is transposed for us in that parable we read earlier of the shepherd leaving the 99 in search of the one lost sheep. By the way, that isn’t “reckless”. That is the premeditated, sovereign, pursuing love of God. Jesus, the Good Shepherd, says He came “to seek and to save the lost” (Lk. 19:10). He takes it upon Himself to search out and pursue after the stray.

Maybe you’re here today and can identify with Levi. You feel lost or lonely. Or maybe you feel, as the hymn-writer did when he wrote from his own experience:

prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, prone to leave the God I love;

You’ve fallen into sinful habits. Or you’ve ceased fellowshipping with Christians because they’ve offended you in some way. Or your relationship with God has run dry as you’ve drifted further and further away from Him and His Word. You feel as if God and His people have abandoned you. You need the reminder of what the writer penned in the previous stanza of his hymn when you feel that way.

Jesus sought me when a stranger, wandering from the fold of God; he, to rescue me from danger, interposed his precious blood.

The mercifully good news for the Levis here today is that Jesus personally seeks the stray.

2. Jesus socializes with scoundrels.

Jesus’ mission doesn’t just target the strays, though. As we keep reading in the next two verses of Mark 2, we see another thing the Lord does and for whom He does it. Verses 15 and 16 tell us that Jesus socializes with scoundrels.

Levi, overjoyed by being “found” by the Lord, desires to celebrate Jesus in his home by throwing a great feast and inviting what friends he had. Levi wanted his friends to know what Jesus had done for him and what Jesus could in turn do for them. We read:

Mark 2:15–16 ESV

Here we see Jesus hanging with the dregs of society. Levi’s guest list included the riff raff, street rat, and scoundrels. According to the Jews, these were the undesirables and to be avoided like a leper. Get too close to these folk and you are setting yourself up for a purification ritual later.

Notably, these were probably the only friends that Levi would’ve had. Nevertheless, Levi wanted them to meet Jesus. Jesus was to be the guest of honor in the company of an inglorious guest list! A guest list filled with the likes of “tax collectors and sinners”.

And what was Jesus doing with this merry band of misfits? He was “reclining at table” and “[they] were reclining with Him”. That is, they were all sharing a meal, enjoying one another’s company, conversing, fellowshipping, and socializing. Talk about scandalous! That was the Pharisees’ perspective. This was a big deal; a big “no-no” according to them. To eat with and receive such people as tax collectors and sinners was to identify and align oneself with such people.

It was an unspoken custom of the Pharisees that you ought to avoid contact with such people. If you were to remain pure and be respected, you were to stay in your lane. That meant the tax collectors and sinners don’t mingle with the seriously religious and the seriously religious don’t mingle with the tax collectors and sinners. What Jesus was doing in Levi’s home would be like the cool kid in high school inviting the dweebs, nerds, and geeks to eat with the popular kids in the cafeteria. You don’t do that!

The Pharisees wanted to know why Jesus was hanging around a clique of people with whom He had no business associating Himself. They thought, “Man, this Jesus fellow must not want to rise to the top and be thought of very highly by others, to be like the important people such as ourselves. It’s a shame really. He has a lot of potential. He really could have been a somebody, but He’s throwing it all away on these low-life, bottom feeders.”

Jesus, of course, had no such concerns about popularity or being thought well of by the religious elite. He didn’t have anything to prove. But He did have a mission to fulfill. Jesus sat and ate with these scoundrels because that was precisely the target audience of His mission.

You’ll recall what Paul, writing to the believers in Corinth said:

1 Corinthians 9:22–23 ESV

To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings.

What Paul was doing was simply imitating what Christ did in Levi’s home at this great feast. For the sake of reaching others with the gospel, Paul humbled himself and laid aside his “rights”. Is this not what Jesus was doing for these scoundrels? Is this not what He did in His incarnation?

When we were sinking down beneath God’s righteous frown, Christ laid aside His crown for our soul

But, make no mistake. By becoming all things to all people, Paul was not condoning sin. By becoming all things to these scoundrels, Jesus Christ was not taking holiness lightly nor was His holiness besmirched. By receiving and eating with sinners, He was there saying to them, “I want to change you.”

But, in order for these scoundrels to be changed by Jesus, guess what? Jesus had to be where they were and socialize with them.

How do we see Him dealing with these people? Again, I want to touch on one basic way, which is:

Jesus is personable. He warmly welcomes the worst and the wretched. These undesirables did not make Jesus feel uncomfortable. We don’t see Him standing on the fringes of the dinning room afraid to get too close. Nor did Jesus deny Levi’s invitation to be celebrated by these guests of disrepute. Instead, Jesus made Himself available, accessible, and approachable to these ne’er-do-wells.

Not long after this dinner affair, in Matthew 11:19, Jesus is accused of being “a friend of tax collectors and sinners”. The Jews meant that as an indictment against the Lord, and yet from the words of His antagonists come a revelation of Christ’s very heart. Jesus is a Friend of sinners! That label is immeasurably comforting to us here who know ourselves to be sinners!

Yes, Jesus is holy and perfect. And at the same time, Jesus is truly a tender Friend. We learn that not only does He pursue lost strays, but He actually welcomes the worst of sinners to pursue Him in return. When you read through the Gospels, again and again you’ll discover that tax collectors and sinners were with Jesus because they wanted to be with Jesus. That tells us the sort of Friend Jesus was to them.

Think about the sort of friend you would want. A good friend isn’t necessarily someone who will always, 100% agree with you or your choices. In fact, a good friend will give us the truth, hard and straight. But also a good friend is someone you can look to in order to become a better person; someone you want to go to for advice, for help, or just to share your heartaches with. A good friend is one who is always available and willing to listen; someone who just wants to be with you as much as you want to be with them.

That’s who Jesus was for these scoundrels. That’s who He can be for us. In Christ, you and I have a Friend who wishes to draw near to us and who desires us to draw near to Him. In Jesus, you and I find a never-failing, never-forsaking, forever faithful Friend.

Jesus! what a Friend for sinners! Jesus! lover of my soul; friends may fail me, foes assail me, He, my Savior, makes me whole.

Hallelujah! what a Savior! Hallelujah, what a Friend! Saving, helping, keeping, loving, He is with me to the end.

3. Jesus summons sinners.

Well, that brings us to the climax of our text; the core of Jesus’ mission statement. Verse 17 tells us that Jesus summons sinners.

Jesus has overheard the Pharisees challenging His choice of friends and so Jesus responds to their charges. This might be another point I could have outlined for us under the heading “Jesus scolds the self-righteous”. That would address what He does and for whom He does it. But this is not the main point of the text. Certainly we can take away that we should not be like these Pharisees! But, Mark would have our attention drawn to the clarification that Jesus makes about His mission, not the condemnation of the Pharisees. Jesus cuts straight to the point saying to His challengers:

Mark 2:17 ESV

And when Jesus heard it, 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.”

In effect, Jesus was saying to them, “Look, wouldn’t you expect to see a doctor among the sick? Likewise, you should expect to see a Savior among sinners. To those of you who think you are righteous, well then you have no need to hear my call. But to those who know they have a need, it is them that I’ve come to call.”

Those who think they are well won’t go to a doctor, but the sick will. Those who pridefully say they are spiritually healthy think they don’t need a Savior, but those who admit that they are spiritually broken and sick will long for salvation. That is the thrust of what Jesus is saying.

Jesus declares clearly why He came and for whom He came at the very end of verse 17. “I came to call… sinners.” If we piece this verse with verse 14 and with Luke 5:32, we can get a fuller picture of how Christ summons sinners. There are two basic ways that Christ calls sinners.

Number one, Christ summons sinners purposefully. There is a goal, an objective in Christ’s mind for those He calls. Jesus’ mission is to call sinners just as they are to Himself, but Jesus never intends for sinners to remain as they are after they’ve answered His call. We see this in Luke 5:32.

Luke 5:32 ESV

I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.”

That word repentance is not used as a verb in this sentence. It’s a noun. Meaning, what Jesus is calling sinners to is a new lifestyle, not a one time act. Jesus summons sinners to abandon their old way of life and be changed to a new way of life. Jesus’ purpose is to make the stray His family, to make the scoundrel His friend, and to make the sinner His fellow-heir. Jesus cares so much about His holiness that He desires those sinners He calls to be holy as He is holy. Christ’s goal for His Bride, the Church, is her sanctification; her holiness! And that is exactly the will of God for your life.

1 Thessalonians 4:3 ESV

For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality;

Number two, Christ summons sinners particularly. We see this especially in Mark 2:14.

Mark 2:14 ESV

And as he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him.

Similar to Jesus calling His other four disciples in chapter one, Jesus now calls Levi in particular. There were many crowding in around Jesus that day, but Jesus singled out Levi. Levi’s name was on the Lord’s heart and mind.

This is how Jesus calls people to salvation and new life in Him, right? John 10:3 says:

John 10:3 ESV

To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.

Think about the beauty of God calling sinners to Himself by name! Paul says:

Romans 8:28–30 ESV

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.

Or consider Jude 1

Jude 1 ESV

Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James, To those who are called, beloved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ:

In other words, to be called by Jesus Christ by name is to experience the love of God and the security of having your soul kept in the hands of Jesus Christ for eternity!

Before the throne of God above I have a strong and perfect plea A great High Priest, whose name is Love Who ever lives and pleads for me

My name is graven on His hands My name is written on His heart I know that while in heaven He stands No tongue can bid me thence depart

This is what makes Christ’s mission statement so compelling to us sinners. He is calling sinners to a better life. A life where the broken can be made whole. A life where the lost are found. A life where the outcasts are welcome. A life where the sinner can be declared righteous before a holy God. No longer do we have to live as estranged enemies of God. Instead, to those He calls, He is their God and they are His people; He is their shepherd and they are the sheep of His pasture.

And so, I feel I need to be direct with you right now. Have you heard the Savior’s summons? Have you heard Christ’s call?

If you have and you’ve already responded to His call, then bear fruit in keeping with repentance (Matt. 3:8). And:

Hebrews 3:12–14 ESV

Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end.

For those of you who have not heard Christ’s call or have yet to respond to the Savior’s summons, the good news for you is that today is the day of salvation.

Hebrews 3:15 ESV

As it is said, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.”

Hear the Lord proclaiming the gospel from God about how you can enjoy His kingdom if you would respond to His call with repentance and faith.

Conclusion

Now, if you’ve been paying close attention, there is still the fourth question left to address. I’ve touched on it by way of inference so far, but I want to close by answering the question explicitly. Ultimately, what is unique about what Jesus does for strays, scoundrels, and sinners?

Jesus best serves the stray, the scoundrel, and the sinner by suffering on the cross for them. Let me show you three passages quickly to show you what I mean.

First, John 12:32-33.

John 12:32–33 ESV

And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” He said this to show by what kind of death he was going to die.

In other words, the strays, the wanderers, the lost will be gathered to the crucified Christ and they shall be saved by Him.

Second, John 18:38-40

John 18:38–40 ESV

Pilate said to him, “What is truth?” After he had said this, he went back outside to the Jews and told them, “I find no guilt in him. But you have a custom that I should release one man for you at the Passover. So do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?” They cried out again, “Not this man, but Barabbas!” Now Barabbas was a robber.

Do you catch what is going on here? Barabbas the scoundrel is shown mercy and is set free. But Jesus takes Barabbas’ place on the cross to bear the justice Barabbas deserved.

And third, a familiar and favorite passage for most of us, Romans 5:6-10.

Romans 5:6–10 ESV

For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.

One of the key words in this passage is repeated three times so that we don’t miss the point. “While,” Paul says. “While we were still weak, Christ died for the ungodly”, “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us”, and “While we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son”.

While we were lost in darkest night, thinking we knew the right way and yet hopelessly astray, He loved us, gave His life for us, and brings us into the fold.

While we were rebels and glory thieves running our hell-bound race, Christ suffered in our place to reconcile us to God. Now Christ is our peace.

And while we were still sinners, Jesus bore the wrath reserved for us, now all we know is grace!

Jesus’ mission is the most remarkable and relevant mission in all of history. He came to call you to Himself. Have you come? Will you come?

Prayer

Out of our bondage, sorrow and night, Jesus, we come; Jesus we come. Into Thy freedom, gladness and light, Jesus, we come to Thee. Out of our sickness into Thy health, Out of our wanting and into Thy wealth, Out of our sin and into Thyself, Jesus, we come to Thee.

Be to us our Brother.

Be to us our Friend.

Be to us our Savior.

Be with us to the end.

AMEN.

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