31 Jesus answered and said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 32 I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.” (Luke 5:31–32, NKJV)
Jesus silenced the accusation of the scribes and Pharisees by likening His contact with sinners to that of a doctor treating an illness. They complained against Jesus and His disciples for eating and drinking with tax collectors and sinners (Lk. 5:30). But, the Great Physician came to heal (to forgive) sinners, not to validate their sins (including the self-righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees that prevented them from answering Christ’s call to repentance). Jesus did not endorse the sinners’ sins when He sat with them; that is a gross misuse of this text. Jesus “sat down with them” to teach them and call them to repentance (Lk. 5:29, 32; 15:1). Often, our problem is that we fail to see our own sins while being quick to point out the sin of others. Until we see our own sin, we will refuse to repent and remain lost. Notice that God’s forgiveness comes after sinners repent, not before (v. 32). Since you would welcome medical treatment to heal your physical disease, welcome Christ’s gospel treatment and be healed of your spiritual disease of sin. Answer Christ’s call to repent and be baptized for the remission of your sins (Acts 2:37-41).
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