Mark 2:13-17

Mark 2:13–17 CSB

13 Jesus went out again beside the sea. The whole crowd was coming to him, and he was teaching them. 14 Then, passing by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax office, and he said to him, “Follow me,” and he got up and followed him. 15 While he was reclining at the table in Levi’s house, many tax collectors and sinners were eating with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many who were following him. 16 When the scribes who were Pharisees saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, they asked his disciples, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?” 17 When Jesus heard this, he told them, “It is not those who are well who need a doctor, but those who are sick. I didn’t come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

So, we see here two accounts dealing with outcast. The first really kind of introducing us to the second.

The first being the calling of Levi, which the traditional view is that it’s the same man Matthew.

We also see the piece following where other people seem to think that there is a religious shortcoming in the eating habits of Jesus and His disciples.

Here in this story, Mark reaffirms Jesus’ ability to forgive sins and shows His acceptance of persons who were despised by many. Both truths were important to the early church (Acts 11:3, Gal 2:12). Jesus and the early church were often criticized for associating with undesirable characters, and Mark justified Jesus’ practice by showing how He changed the lives of such persons.

V. 13-14

Mark 2:13–14 CSB

13 Jesus went out again beside the sea. The whole crowd was coming to him, and he was teaching them. 14 Then, passing by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax office, and he said to him, “Follow me,” and he got up and followed him.

We see here that Jesus decides to go for a walk beside the sea, probably to get away from the crowd. It doesn’t take long though for the crowd to come and find him.

As He passes by Levi, sitting at the toll-gate. This would have been the first toll station for those coming from one of the smaller kingdoms of Philip or the Decapolis to the tetrarchy of Herod Antipas.

LEVI: was a minor official of the Jewish client-king Herod Antipas and not a Roman tax collector. The tax collectors of Anitpas however, were probably as much despised as those of the Romans and for the same reasons: dishonesty, use of intimidation and even force, and contact with Gentiles.

Like Peter, Andrew, James and John (Mark 1:16-20), we see Levi respond to the call by leaving his secular work and following Jesus.

This is another example, just as the previous disciples in leaving a good solid job to follow Jesus. Even more than the fishermen, he had a secure and prosperous job which he abandons.

This was a quick decision as well as far as we know. But you know, there are times when great decisions are made on a moment’s notice.

Vv. 15-16

We then get into the part of the story where people were literally giving him a hard time about whom He is dining with.

Mark 2:15–16 CSB

15 While he was reclining at the table in Levi’s house, many tax collectors and sinners were eating with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many who were following him. 16 When the scribes who were Pharisees saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, they asked his disciples, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?”

V.15

Now, the word translated “was having dinner”, literally means to recline. Apparently Jews sat at the table for ordinary meals but reclined on couches or carpets for formal meals.

SINNERS

Mark ((2) Over Associating with Tax Collectors and “Sinners” (2:13–17))

The NIV is quite correct to put the word “sinners” in quotation marks to indicate that it is being used with an unusual meaning.

The reference is not to immoral or irreligious persons but to those who because of the necessity of spending all their time earning a bare subsistence were not able to keep the law, especially the oral law, as the scribes thought they should. As a result the scribes despised them. Perhaps a better translation would be “outcasts” (GNB).

So these were basically regular people, who because of the little amount of time they had from their jobs and making a living, surviving, they did not have the time to keep the “Oral Law” or “The Law”. And because of this, they are outcast. Seen as somebody who is inferior.

We must be careful as people who worship Jesus, as the church; to not place upon others either unbiblical expectations, or biblical accountability that should only be reserved for those who believe.

UNBILICAL EXPECTATIONS:

Can be done from believers to nonbelievers… well that’s easy. THEY DON’T KNOW JESUS! Why do you expect them to act any differently when they don’t know.

Most often done from believers to other believers.

Eating or Drinking

Reading your Bible EVERY DAY.

Or that you must read this version, or that it must be a book and not audio.

Dress

Or even like this story… being seen with somebody who is kind of a wild person. Not from church, or known to be like a sinner.

ACCOUNTABILITY RESERVED FOR BELIEVERS.

Language

Attitude

Church Attendance

Dress

SINNING!

DON’T BE MAD AT A UNREPENTANT SINNER FOR BEING A UNREPENTANT SINNER! Don’t expect them to act any differently.

What’s also mentioned here for the first time is the word “disciple.” This is the first of 58 times in the book of Mark.

Disciple: means learner,, but the disciples of Jesus were more than just pupils. They were devoted not just to his teaching but even more to Him as a person! Jesus intended for these to become a minister to others just as He was.

Mark’s point here: was that many so called sinners and many tax collectors became part of the larger group of Jesus’ disciples.

V. 16

Now those in modern, Western society have difficulty realizing just how scandalous it was for Jesus to associate with outcast.

Within this society, table fellowship was one of the most intimate expressions of friendship.

Because of this, religious leaders could not understand how Jesus could be a religious person and dine with “bad characters”.

Jesus defied many of the conventions of His society. What’s ironic about this, is that throughout Christian history many have attempted to make Jesus conform to the conventions of their society and thus produce this religious that comes from their own customs.

Mark ((2) Over Associating with Tax Collectors and “Sinners” (2:13–17))

Here Mark mentioned the Pharisees for the first of twelve times. They were a party of laymen that developed during the period of Hasmonean independence (142–63 B.C.) and devoted themselves to keeping the law, especially its oral interpretation, as taught by the scribes. The name probably means separatists, and they may have been called such because of their separation from the common people, the “sinners” of the present passage. Despite the very close relationship of the groups, not all scribes were Pharisees; and only a few Pharisees were scribes. Mark indicated that fact by his unique expression “scribes of the Pharisees,” which the NIV renders “teachers of the law who were Pharisees.”

V. 17

Mark 2:17 CSB

17 When Jesus heard this, he told them, “It is not those who are well who need a doctor, but those who are sick. I didn’t come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Something to get straight here is the word “righteous” is probably used ironically to mean self-righteous, for such were many of the scribes.

Jesus affirms here that His mission was to call sinners not just to repentance, but also to FULL ACCEPTANCE in the kingdom of God.

STORY ABOUT OUR PEDIATRICIAN NOT SEEING THE KID’S IF THE HAVE A FEVER.

For Jesus to refuse to associate with sinners would have been as foolish as for a doctor not to associate with the sick.

IT IS JUST AS FOOLISH FOR US AS BELIEVERS not to know or associate what so ever with any sinners/unbelievers.

IN FACT, you want a sure fire way for unbelievers to think that you're a snob, or somebody who thinks they’re better than everybody else? Be a Christian who has nothing to do with people outside of the church. Be a Christian who ONLY associates with people who are LIKE YOU.

THE GOSPEL DOES NOT SPREAD IF WE DO NOT MEET PEOPLE AND HANG OUT WITH PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT BELIEVERS.

We obviously must be carful in the pursuit of those who don’t know Christ, but we cannot allow ourselves to be so worried about being corrupted by their sin to where we create for ourselves a bubble of self-righteousness.

Mark ((2) Over Associating with Tax Collectors and “Sinners” (2:13–17))

The love of Jesus for all kinds of sinners, his initiative in seeking them, his giving them full acceptance, and his desire to have close fellowship with them was a new and revolutionary element in religion and morals. Mark intended to convey the message that the disciples of Jesus should have the same attitude.