Luke 5:31-32
And Jesus answered them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
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Jesus isn't just stating a fact about doctors; he's highlighting a crucial point about the Pharisees' perspective. By using the word "well" or "healthy," he subtly points out that they see themselves as having no spiritual malady, completely missing the deep sickness their self-righteousness hides from them.
Jesus has just called Matthew, a tax collector, to follow Him, and then attended a banquet Matthew hosted for other tax collectors and sinners. The religious leaders, the scribes and Pharisees, were critical of Jesus for associating with such people, so Jesus responds to their disapproval with this well-known saying.
Why would Jesus use a medical analogy to talk about spiritual matters? It all comes down to recognizing our need.
Jesus’s words, 'Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick,' are a brilliant way of highlighting who he came to save.
The Obvious Truth
On the surface, it’s simple: healthy people don’t go to the doctor. Doctors are for those who are unwell. Jesus is pointing out the obvious state of things.
The Deeper Reality
But Jesus goes deeper. The religious leaders he's talking to think they’re 'well.' They see themselves as righteous and spiritually healthy, especially compared to the tax collectors and 'sinners' Jesus is eating with. They feel no need for Jesus’s spiritual healing.
However, Jesus sees their spiritual sickness—their pride, their self-righteousness—which is far more dangerous than the recognized sins of the others. The 'sickness' he’s talking about isn't just outward sin, but the internal condition of a heart that doesn't know it’s sick and therefore doesn't seek healing.
Jesus wasn't just observing; he was actively seeking out the broken. His mission was clear: to call those who knew their need.
Jesus directly follows up the physician analogy by stating, 'I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.' This clarifies his purpose and the nature of his ministry.
A Mission for the Lost
The core of Jesus's mission wasn't to validate the self-proclaimed 'righteous' who felt no need for him. Instead, his divine purpose was to seek out and save those who recognized their sinfulness and were ready to turn back to God. The 'sickness' of sin leaves people lost, alienated from God, and in need of divine intervention.
The Invitation to Repentance
Jesus’s call isn’t just an offer of forgiveness; it’s an invitation to . This means a turning away from sin and a turning towards God. He offers healing, but it requires the patient to acknowledge their illness and accept the cure. This inclusive outreach, embracing those on the margins, is the very foundation of God’s redemptive work.
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.
dikaios · Greek Adjective
Biblically, those who are considered legally or morally upright in their own estimation or according to religious standards. In this context, it refers to those who trust in their own law-keeping rather than God's grace.
hamartōlos · Greek Noun
Individuals who have missed the mark of God's holy standard, living in rebellion against His authority. It characterizes the condition of all humanity apart from Christ, requiring divine intervention and reconciliation.
This encounter highlights a fundamental tension between those who see themselves as righteous and those who recognize their need for divine intervention. Jesus' metaphor of a physician and sick patients directly confronts the self-righteousness of the religious elite and validates his mission to reach those marginalized by society.
Late 8th century BC
Prophet Hosea quoted
The prophet Hosea speaks of God's desire for mercy and knowledge over ritual sacrifice, setting a precedent for understanding God's heart towards those overlooked by religious leaders.
c. 1st century AD
Jesus calls Levi (Matthew)
Jesus sees Levi, a tax collector, at his post and calls him to follow. Tax collectors were widely despised as sinners and collaborators with Roman oppressors.
c. 1st century AD— this verse
Levi hosts a banquet for Jesus
Levi, now a disciple, throws a large feast for Jesus and his followers, inviting many other tax collectors and 'sinners'.
c. 1st century AD
Pharisees and scribes question Jesus
Religious leaders observe Jesus eating with tax collectors and sinners and challenge his disciples, questioning his association with outcasts.
This parallel passage from Matthew directly quotes Jesus' response, highlighting that he came to call sinners, reinforcing the idea that sickness is the reason for needing a physician.
Mark 2:17Mark's account also includes this saying, framing it as Jesus' defense for associating with 'sinners' and tax collectors, underscoring the mission to reach those who recognize their spiritual need.
1 Timothy 1:15Paul echoes this sentiment, calling himself the 'foremost of sinners' and stating that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, illustrating the profound spiritual sickness Jesus came to heal.
Isaiah 53:4-6This prophecy powerfully describes the Messiah bearing our iniquities, showing that humanity's sickness is so profound that it requires a divine sacrifice for healing, a concept Jesus embodies.
Jeremiah 17:9This verse reveals the deep-seated corruption of the human heart, declaring it 'sick above all things,' which directly supports Jesus' medical metaphor for the spiritual condition of humanity.
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 crucial point about the Pharisees' perspective. By using the word "well" or "healthy," he subtly points out that they see themselves as having no spiritual malady, completely missing the deep sickness their self-righteousness hides from them.
Jesus has just called Matthew, a tax collector, to follow Him, and then attended a banquet Matthew hosted for other tax collectors and sinners. The religious leaders, the scribes and Pharisees, were critical of Jesus for associating with such people, so Jesus responds to their disapproval with this well-known saying.
Jesus has just called Matthew, a tax collector, to follow Him, and then attended a banquet Matthew hosted for other tax collectors and sinners. The religious leaders, the scribes and Pharisees, were critical of Jesus for associating with such people, so Jesus responds to their disapproval with this well-known saying.
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metanoia · Greek Noun
A fundamental change of mind and heart regarding sin and God; a turning away from sin and a turning toward God in faith. It is a necessary response to the proclamation of the Gospel.
"And Jesus answered them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.”" — Jesus isn't just stating a fact about doctors; he's highlighting a crucial point about the Pharisees' perspective. By using the word "well" or "healthy," he subtly points out that they *see themselve…
