10 While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples.  11 When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”  12 On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 13 But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.

There will always be self-righteous people who think that Christians should have nothing to do with those who are noted for their sin or who are not professing Christians. Jesus instructed His critics by explaining that as a physician of souls He needed to go to the ones who were spiritually sick. The Pharisees, as also the self-righteous people today, do not consider themselves to be sinners or sick, therefore they do not think they need the Savior.

Always remember that the church is a hospital. We deal with hurting people both saved and unsaved and need to minister to their needs.

Jesus' answer is very revealing. He actually agrees with their remarks. He says, in effect, "You're right. These are sick, hurting, troubled men. Their style of life has damaged them deeply. They don't see life rightly; they are covering up many evils; they are false in many ways. You're right, these are sick men, but where else would a doctor be?" That is his argument. "I've come to heal men, and therefore where they are hurting is where I'm needed."

He says something to them which directs their attention to the right focus, but also turns their gaze back toward themselves. He says, "I came to call not the righteous, but sinners." That is, those who think they are righteous, as these Pharisees did, are needier than those they regard as social outcasts. These Pharisees were more deeply disturbed than the tax collectors and sinners, but they did not know it. Jesus was saying to them, "To those who think they're righteous, I have absolutely nothing to say, but to these who know they're sick, and are open for help, I am fully available to minister to their souls."

Our Lord made several things emphatically clear by this reply. He indicated very strongly when people think they have no need of help from God, they are in no position to be helped. There is nothing to say to them.

Trouble causes us to stop clinging to the terrible illusion that we are able to handle life by ourselves. Our Lord puts His efforts where men and women are open to help, where they are hurting so much.

The church has been criticized and denounced, forsaken, and justifiably so, because of the prejudices it still manifests in terms of class, race, financial, and even sex distinctions.  Whenever you find someone hungry, hurting, and needing help, that is the person who needs the Great Physician; that is the one to whom friendship should be extended.

Christians must learn to treat people like this regardless of what their outward appearance may be. We must learn to see the waiter and waitress, the service persons as people whose hearts may be in need. We need not be at all impressed with the top executives. They may be hurting and needing help. That is the way Jesus approached people everywhere. He was looking for those who were ready to respond because of the needs in their souls.

 I love the words of C. T. Studd, a brilliant young Englishman who gave away a fortune, so he could go out to the forests of Africa. He put his philosophy this way.

“Some like to dwell within the sound of church and chapel bell, but I want to run a rescue shop within a yard of Hell.”

Application:   Be intentional to develop the ability to see those in need to hear. 

Prayer:  Lord, teach me to live like this looking for opportunities to share You with those who need You most.   Prepar the soil of their hearts for Your message.