I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus isn't just saying he prefers sinners; he's highlighting that the "righteous" who think they need no help are precisely the ones he can't call effectively. They're like healthy people who refuse a doctor, completely missing the point that he came to heal the broken.
I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus is dining with tax collectors and other disreputable people after calling Levi (also known as Matthew) to follow him. The religious leaders, the scribes and Pharisees, are scandalized by this association and question Jesus and his disciples about it. Jesus responds by comparing himself to a doctor who is needed by the sick, not those who feel healthy, setting the stage for his declaration that he came for those who recognize their need for healing.
Why would Jesus say He didn't come for the righteous? It sounds exclusionary, even harsh.
Jesus uses a powerful analogy here: a doctor doesn't primarily seek out those who are already well. His purpose is to heal the sick.
Jesus didn't just come to hang out with 'sinners.' There's a crucial action He calls them toward.
The phrase 'to repentance' is not an afterthought; it's the very goal of Jesus' call to sinners.
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Understand the original words
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.
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.
Late 8th century BC
Prophet Hosea's Ministry
Hosea delivers a prophecy emphasizing God's desire for mercy and knowledge of Him over mere ritual sacrifice, a theme Jesus later quotes.
c. 2nd Century BC - 1st Century AD
Pharisaic Movement Emerges
The Pharisees develop as a prominent religious group, emphasizing strict adherence to the Law and oral traditions, viewing themselves as particularly righteous.
c. AD 27-30
Jesus' Public Ministry Begins
Jesus starts his public ministry, calling disciples like fishermen and tax collectors, and often associating with social outcasts.
c. AD 28— this verse
Jesus Calls Levi (Matthew)
Jesus calls Levi, a tax collector, to follow him. Levi immediately leaves his lucrative post to do so, then hosts a banquet for Jesus and his associates.
c. AD 28
Pharisees Criticize Jesus' Associations
The Pharisees and scribes observe Jesus dining with tax collectors and 'sinners,' questioning his disciples about why he associates with such people.
Jesus directly quotes Hosea 6:6 to the Pharisees here, explaining that his mission is to show mercy to those in need of healing, not to those who believe they are already righteous.
Mark 2:17This parallel account in Mark emphasizes the same point, with Jesus stating, 'I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.' The addition of 'to repentance' in Luke highlights the purpose of his calling.
1 Timothy 1:15Paul echoes Jesus' mission statement when he calls himself 'chief' among sinners, affirming that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, which directly aligns with the purpose stated in Luke 5:32.
Romans 5:8This passage powerfully illustrates the 'sinners' Jesus came to call, stating that God demonstrates his love by Christ dying for us while we were still sinners, underscoring God's initiative in salvation.
cambridgeLuke 5:32: "I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."
32 . I came not to call ] Rather, I have not come . the righteous ] This also was true in two senses. Our Lord came to seek and save the lost. He came not to the elder son but to the prodigal; not to the folded flock but to the straying sheep. In a lower and external sense these Pharisees were really, as they called themselves, ‘the righteous’ ( chasidim ). In another sense they were only self-righteous and self-deceived…
jfbLuke 5:27-32: "And after these things he went forth, and saw a publican, named Levi, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he said unto him, Follow me."
Lu 5:27-32. Levi's Call and Feast.(See on [1576]Mt 9:9-13; and Mr 2:14.)
Jesus isn't just saying he prefers sinners; he's highlighting that the "righteous" who think they need no help are precisely the ones he can't call effectively. They're like healthy people who refuse a doctor, completely missing the point that he came to heal the broken.
Jesus is dining with tax collectors and other disreputable people after calling Levi (also known as Matthew) to follow him. The religious leaders, the scribes and Pharisees, are scandalized by this association and question Jesus and his disciples about it. Jesus responds by comparing himself to a doctor who is needed by the sick, not those who feel healthy, setting the stage for his declaration that he came for those who recognize their need for healing.
Jesus is dining with tax collectors and other disreputable people after calling Levi (also known as Matthew) to follow him. The religious leaders, the scribes and Pharisees, are scandalized by this association and question Jesus and his disciples about it. Jesus responds by comparing himself to a doctor who is needed by the sick, not those who feel healthy, setting the stage for his declaration that he came for those who recognize their need for healing.
"I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.”" — Jesus isn't just saying he prefers sinners; he's highlighting that the "righteous" who think they need no help are precisely the ones he can't call effectively. They're like healthy people who refu…
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Last reviewed October 2026