June 27

They that are Sick

On hearing this, Jesus told them, “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 BSB

This was Jesus' response to those who criticized Him for eating with disreputable people at Matthew’s feast. The Pharisees insinuated that He was compromising Himself by associating with sinners. But Jesus gave them a profound answer—these were the very people who needed Him most. It was like a physician’s role: doctors don’t spend their time with the healthy but with the sick. The sicker the person, the more they need a doctor. Jesus had come to save sinners, and these people were exactly why He was there.

No one criticizes a doctor for going into sick rooms or hospitals. No one suggests that a doctor must have low taste because of the company they keep. Similarly, Jesus explained that He had come to seek and save the lost. The worse the sinner, the more reason for Him to be found there. Good people don’t need a physician, but lost and broken souls do.

This teaches us two lessons. First, as Christ’s followers, we should carry the gospel to the lowest and most broken people. We aren’t to mingle with sinners as companions, but when we strive to bring them to Christ, we are doing His work. Second, no sinner should ever despair, because Christ’s mission is to save them. The greater their sin, the more eager He is to offer grace and healing.