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And Levi gave a big reception for Him in his house . . . (NASB) Luke 5:29 Matthew gave the big party for Jesus! It was a party to introduce his friends to Jesus.
Recently, my wife and I went to a local restaurant for dinner. After we had finished our meal and were walking out, a friend waved at us from inside the restaurant. I noticed that she was sitting with a group of women whom I did not know. I greeted this dear woman and asked her about the women at the table. She quickly whispered to me that they were women who lived near her home. They were neighbors. They were having dinner together and she was using this as an opportunity to build relationships. Her goal was to eventually introduce them to Jesus.
This appears to be what Matthew was doing. Matthew wanted his friends to believe in Jesus too! What better way than to hold a party and invite your non-believing neighbors.
The Uninvited Guests. But there were some uninvited guests standing outside who objected - the scribes.
When the scribes of the Pharisees saw that He was eating with the sinners and tax collectors, they said to His disciples, “Why is He eating and drinking with tax collectors and sinners?” (NASB) Mark 2:16 The scribes of the Pharisees would be like seminary students today. The Pharisees were strict adherents to the Jewish faith who upheld the purity of the Jewish faith and life. They had adopted extra religious rules and regulations designed to prevent every faithful Jew from violating the law of God. They called these extra religious rules and regulations “a hedge about the law.” However, their extra rules violated God’s law and were great burdens on the backs of the people.
Luke 5:30 tells us that the scribes of the Pharisees were “grumbling” because Jesus was eating with the tax collectors and “sinners.” The Greek word for grumbling is EGOGGUZON and was used to refer to “cooing birds.” The word is also in the imperfect tense which tells us that these scribes were continuously talking and complaining to one another about Jesus’ conduct. Finally, someone asked Jesus why He was eating and drinking with tax collectors and sinners.
And hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick; I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” (NASB) Mark 2:17 Jesus told them that those who are well do not need a doctor. Only those who are sick really need one. Men and women are not any different today. There are those today who do not know that they are spiritually sick. Many of the Jewish religious leaders considered themselves to be spiritually well. Jesus’ message is clear. He did not come for them because they would not accept His message. He came for those who would respond.
The scribes did not care about the spiritual condition of the men and women at Matthew’s party, but Jesus did. Matthew adds these words to the end of his record,
But go and learn what this means: “I DESIRE COMPASSION, AND NOT SACRIFICE,” for I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners. (NASB) Matt. 9:13 These were words spoken by Jesus. |
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| Life & Heart of Jesus | |||||
