Mark 2:17
And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
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Jesus doesn't just say he came to help sinners; he implies that the "righteous" the Pharisees saw themselves as are actually the ones who don't need him, highlighting their own spiritual blindness. The contrast isn't between good people and bad people, but between those who recognize their sickness and those who believe they are already well.
Jesus had just called Matthew, a tax collector, to be one of his disciples. To celebrate, Matthew threw a large dinner party where Jesus and his disciples ate with Matthew, other tax collectors, and sinners. The religious leaders of the day, the scribes and Pharisees, saw this and criticized Jesus to his disciples for associating with such people.
Jesus uses a common analogy to explain His mission. But who does He consider 'sick' and who is 'well'?
Jesus compares Himself to a physician and His mission to healing. He states, 'Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.' This isn't about physical health, but spiritual condition. The 'well' are those who believe they are righteous on their own, needing no divine intervention. The 'sick' are those who recognize their spiritual brokenness and desperate need for God's healing touch. Jesus's ministry was focused on those who knew they needed Him, not those who were self-sufficient.
Jesus's meal with tax collectors and sinners caused an uproar. What was the true purpose of His interaction?
Jesus wasn't just enjoying a meal with 'sinners'; He was actively calling them. The phrase 'I came not to call the righteous, but sinners' points to a specific purpose: repentance. While the Pharisees saw Jesus as 'com(ing) into contact' with sinners and being defiled, Jesus saw Himself as the divine Physician bringing healing. His association was not for mere fellowship but for the cure of souls. The invitation was to turn from their old ways and embrace a new life in Him.
Understand the original words
dikaios · Greek Adjective
One who possesses moral integrity, either through actual obedience to God or, more commonly in the context of Jesus' teaching, through a self-righteous belief in one's own standing before God.
The scribes and Pharisees saw associating with 'sinners' as contamination, but Jesus's mission as a divine physician was precisely to reach those whom the religious elite had excluded and deemed spiritually sick.
c. 750 BC
Prophet Hosea speaks of God's mercy
The prophet Hosea, ministering in the northern kingdom of Israel during a time of spiritual decay, declares that God desires mercy and a knowledge of Him more than outward sacrifice. This theme would resonate deeply with Jesus's message.
c. 5th-1st century BC
Roman occupation of Judea
Following conquest, Rome imposes its rule over Judea. This results in heavy taxation and the establishment of customs offices, often manned by Jewish tax collectors (publicans) who are deeply despised by their countrymen for collaborating with the oppressors.
c. AD 27-30
Jesus begins public ministry
Jesus starts teaching, healing, and calling disciples throughout Galilee and surrounding regions. His ministry contrasts sharply with the religious establishment's focus on ritual purity and exclusion.
c. AD 27-30
Jesus calls Matthew the tax collector
Jesus sees Matthew (also called Levi) at his tax booth and calls him to follow. Matthew immediately leaves his lucrative, yet despised, profession to join Jesus, demonstrating the power of Christ's call.
This passage directly parallels Jesus' statement, framing His ministry as a divine call to repentance for those who recognize their need for Him, contrasting them with those who wrongly believe they are righteous.
Matthew 9:12-13This is the most direct parallel, with Jesus quoting Hosea 6:6 to emphasize that God desires mercy over ritual, reinforcing His mission to call sinners, not those who are self-sufficient in their own perceived righteousness.
1 Timothy 1:15Paul echoes Jesus' sentiment by calling himself 'the foremost of sinners,' illustrating the personal application of Christ's mission to save those who acknowledge their sinfulness, much like the publicans Jesus called.
Romans 5:8This verse highlights God's immense love demonstrated by Christ's death for us while we were still sinners, underscoring the radical nature of God's initiative to save the lost, which Jesus was enacting in calling Levi.
Luke 19:10Jesus explicitly states His purpose is to seek and save the lost, which directly relates to His calling of Matthew the tax collector, a man considered lost by the religious elite of the time.
pooleMark 2:17: "When 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."
See Poole on "Mark 2:14"
vincentMark 2:17: "When 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."
They that are whole (οἱ ἰσχύοντες)Lit., they that are strong. See on Luke 14:30, was not able; and 2 Peter 2:11, power.No needThe Greek order throws the emphasis on these words: No need have they that are strong of a physician. Wyc., Whole men have no need to a leech, but they that have evil.
Jesus doesn't just say he came to help sinners; he implies that the "righteous" the Pharisees saw themselves as are actually the ones who don't need him, highlighting their own spiritual blindness. The contrast isn't between good people and bad people, but between those who recognize their sickness and those who believe they are already well.
Jesus had just called Matthew, a tax collector, to be one of his disciples. To celebrate, Matthew threw a large dinner party where Jesus and his disciples ate with Matthew, other tax collectors, and sinners. The religious leaders of the day, the scribes and Pharisees, saw this and criticized Jesus to his disciples for associating with such people.
Jesus had just called Matthew, a tax collector, to be one of his disciples. To celebrate, Matthew threw a large dinner party where Jesus and his disciples ate with Matthew, other tax collectors, and sinners. The religious leaders of the day, the scribes and Pharisees, saw this and criticized Jesus to his disciples for associating with such people.
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c. AD 27-30— this verse
Jesus dines with tax collectors and sinners
Matthew hosts Jesus and his disciples at a large banquet in his home. Many other tax collectors and 'sinners' (people considered morally or ritually unclean by the religious elite) attend the feast.
c. AD 27-30
Pharisees question Jesus's association
The scribes and Pharisees, observing Jesus eating with those they deem outcasts, challenge his disciples. They express outrage that Jesus would associate with such 'sinners,' viewing it as a violation of religious law and a stain on his reputation.
"And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”" — Jesus doesn't just say he came to help sinners; he implies that the "righteous" the Pharisees saw themselves as are actually the ones who don't need him, highlighting their own spiritual blindness.…
