Mark 2:15-17 15And it came to pass, that, as Jesus sat at meat in his house, many publicans and sinners sat also together with Jesus and his disciples: for there were many, and they followed him. 16And when the scribes and Pharisees saw him eat with publicans and sinners, they said unto his disciples, How is it that he eateth and drinketh with publicans and sinners? 17When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. I love this Scripture from the New Testament. What many do is emphasize the importance of our Lord sitting with sinners...as evidence that we should not judge them and we should just love them and not mention the sin or expect they change. As I read this passage I see it differently. There was nothing remarkable about Jesus Christ sitting with these sinners, after all He walked upon a world filled with sinners (even those who in their vanity thought they were righteous)...there was no place He could go that there were not sinners (Romans 5:12). What matters is His call to repentance ...every sinner...meaning every single one of us. The liar, the thief, the angry, the idolater, the vain, the immoral, the glutton, the perverse, the violent, the faith-less. We are to repent of our sins, to cast aside that which keeps out eyes closed and our hearts hardened to Him. Every day we struggle against the evil within us and the evil of Satan (Ephesians 6:12)...each day is a new battle and each day sin seeks to unravel my day...I am still a sinner...so are you. Our salvation is not of our own doing..our salvation is only possible because of the undeserved love and grace of Christ Jesus (Ephesians 2:9). It is only because He loved us so much that He suffered and died upon the cross to atone for our sins..that we can ask Him for that truly amazing Grace. With that salvation the Holy Spirit throws our eyes wide open to our sinful ways....all of it...the filthy language, the impure thoughts, the little lapses in integrity. If we do not repent of our old ways, how can we say we truly were saved...how sincere were we in seeking Him? We must repent and seek His forgiveness when we fail..out of fear backsliding certainly...but much more out of love for our Savior.
Posted on: Tue, 25 Mar 2014 13:52:57 +0000
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