Mark 2: 17: Jesus really nails it in this verse as he talks with the Pharisees, a group of well intentioned religious purest. No doubt these men, it was a men’s only group, felt that they merited Jesus’ attention if he really wanted to be part of the in group of the day. These men had it all; authority, money, influence and ‘respect’. Certainly an up and coming personality like Jesus needed to spend his time with them and not the likes of tax collectors, fishermen, prostitutes and commoners. But we’ve already seen in the previous verses of Mark that Jesus had a very different agenda and somehow he had ‘forgotten’ to pencil in dinner with the Pharisees as part of his weekly meetings! Jesus makes it clear to the Pharisees that He didn’t want to spend time with them. He preferred spending time with people that knew that needed a spiritual doctor. “I came to invite sinners,” that says it all and he wasn’t seeking out anyone else.
\nThis is a sharp reminder for me of what my spiritual attitude should be. Jesus wasn’t rejecting the Pharisees, He wanted them to follow Him too, but they had to realize that they were sinners too. A Pharisee was no better than a tax collector in the eyes of Jesus because both were sinful and needed the spiritual healing that He was bringing. So do I see myself as being “healthy” without the touch of Jesus, or do I know that I too am sinful and in need of His healing? Then a second question arises about how I see the world around me. Do I see people as healthy or sick, in need of Jesus or just doing fine the way they are right now? Jesus didn’t condemn the sinners for their way of living but He did offer them a different way in life. A way that leads to freedom from sin, complete forgiveness from the burden that sin weighs down on men and women.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Mark 2: 17: Jesus really nails it in this verse as he talks with the Pharisees, a group of well intentioned religious purest. No doubt these men, it was a men’s only group, felt that they merited Jesus’ attention if … Continue reading