And Jesus answered them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus isn't just stating a fact about doctors; he's highlighting a critical spiritual blindness in his critics. By using the word for "in health" instead of "strong" (as other Gospels do), Jesus subtly points out that the Pharisees think they're healthy, but they're actually missing their own deep spiritual sickness that only he can cure.
And Jesus answered them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus has just called Matthew, a tax collector, to follow him. This immediately prompts criticism from the Pharisees and scribes who are appalled that Jesus would associate with "sinners" like tax collectors. In response to their grumbling about why he eats with such disreputable people, Jesus explains his mission using the analogy of a physician.
Why did the religious leaders get so upset about Jesus eating with 'sinners'? Their problem wasn't just about table manners; it was a fundamental misunderstanding of who they were and who Jesus was.
Jesus uses a powerful analogy: healthy people don't need a doctor, only the sick do. The religious leaders, like the Pharisees and scribes, saw themselves as 'healthy' – morally and spiritually superior. They prided themselves on following the Law and looked down on 'sinners' like tax collectors and outcasts.
But Jesus's point is twofold:
Jesus didn't just point out spiritual sickness; He came to treat it. His mission was centered on calling those who recognized their need for Him.
The core of Jesus's ministry, as revealed in this encounter, was His role as a divine physician. He came to call sinners to repentance.
Ask a follow-up
Understand the original words
iatros · Greek Noun
In a biblical context, this term refers to one who practices medicine, metaphorically signifying Jesus as the divine healer who addresses the spiritual sickness of sin. It denotes someone who brings restoration, wholeness, and life to the broken.
Jesus' statement highlights his mission to seek out those aware of their spiritual need, directly challenging the self-righteousness of the religious elite who failed to recognize their own brokenness.
Early 1st century AD
Jesus' Ministry Begins
Jesus commences his public ministry in Galilee, teaching in synagogues and performing miracles, attracting a growing following.
Early to mid 1st century AD
Call of Matthew (Levi)
Jesus calls Matthew, a tax collector for the Roman Empire, to be one of his disciples. This act is controversial due to the disrepute of tax collectors.
Early to mid 1st century AD— this verse
Feast at Matthew's House
Matthew hosts a large banquet for Jesus, inviting many other tax collectors and sinners. This gathering becomes a point of contention with religious leaders.
Early to mid 1st century AD
Pharisaical Criticism
Pharisees and their scribes observe Jesus eating with 'sinners' and tax collectors, questioning his actions and his disciples' association with him.
Early to mid 1st century AD
Jesus' Response and Teaching
Jesus answers the critics with the analogy of a physician tending to the sick, stating he came to call sinners to repentance.
This passage directly echoes Jesus' words in Luke, emphasizing His mission not to call the 'healthy' righteous but the 'sick' sinners to repentance, reinforcing the physician analogy.
Mark 2:17Similar to Luke 5:31, Mark records Jesus stating He did not come to call the righteous but sinners. This highlights the consistent theme of Jesus associating with those society deemed outcasts.
1 Timothy 1:15Paul's declaration that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom he himself is the foremost, aligns with the core idea that Jesus, the spiritual physician, seeks out those who recognize their need for healing.
Hosea 6:6Jesus quotes this Old Testament passage, 'I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,' to underscore that His mission is about bringing spiritual health and restoration (mercy) to the spiritually ill, rather than seeking outward religious observances from those who think they are already well.
Romans 5:8This verse powerfully illustrates God's love shown by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners, demonstrating that Jesus actively seeks out the 'sick' with His saving grace, not waiting for them to be 'healthy'.
cambridgeLuke 5:31: "And Jesus answering said unto them, They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick."
31 . They that are whole ] Our Lord’s words had both an obvious and a deeper meaning. As regards the ordinary duties and respectability of life these provincial scribes and Pharisees were really “whole” as compared with the flagrant “sinfulness” of the tax-gatherers and “sinners.” In another and even a more dangerous sense they were themselves “sinners” who fancied only that they h…
pulpitLuke 5:31: "And Jesus answering said unto them, They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick."
Verses 31, 32. - And Jesus answering said unto them, They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. This was one of those sayings of the Lord which sank very deep into the hearts of the hearers. All the three, Matthew, Mark, and Luke, repeat it with very slight variations; it was evidently a favourite t…
Jesus isn't just stating a fact about doctors; he's highlighting a critical spiritual blindness in his critics. By using the word for "in health" instead of "strong" (as other Gospels do), Jesus subtly points out that the Pharisees think they're healthy, but they're actually missing their own deep spiritual sickness that only he can cure.
Jesus has just called Matthew, a tax collector, to follow him. This immediately prompts criticism from the Pharisees and scribes who are appalled that Jesus would associate with "sinners" like tax collectors. In response to their grumbling about why he eats with such disreputable people, Jesus explains his mission using the analogy of a physician.
Jesus has just called Matthew, a tax collector, to follow him. This immediately prompts criticism from the Pharisees and scribes who are appalled that Jesus would associate with "sinners" like tax collectors. In response to their grumbling about why he eats with such disreputable people, Jesus explains his mission using the analogy of a physician.
"And Jesus answered them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick." — Jesus isn't just stating a fact about doctors; he's highlighting a critical spiritual blindness in his critics. By using the word for "in health" instead of "strong" (as other Gospels do), Jesus subt…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026