When you have a major celebration – one that involves cake – maybe a birthday or a wedding – how

would it hit you to have someone pop in on the festivities and begin to lecture everyone on the health

hazards of having too much sugar in your diet and even include in their diatribe the additional issue of

white flour. Wouldn’t you want security or someone tough to escort them out so the party could

continue?

Just when Matthew’s party was in full swing and the fellowship was exactly what Matthew hoped it

would be, this happened:

The Pharisees and their companions the scribes kept muttering indignantly about this to Jesus’

disciples, saying “Why do you have your meals with tax collectors and sinners?” (Luke 5:30 Phillips)

They were having a problem with the types of people Matthew invited to HIS party in HIS home! They

just could not believe that Jesus and His disciples would associate with such people – much less dine

with them. Disgusting! These self-righteous folks would NEVER do that! Sharing a meal meant

something, and they certainly couldn’t accept a Messiah who associated with people who were so

obviously separated from God! In fact, they took great precautions to avoid being in the presence of

such people. They easily saw the glaring sins of others, but were blind to their own.

True to form, Jesus was not bothered by their question, nor did He ignore it. He merely responded, “It is

not the healthy who need the doctor, but those who are ill. I have not come to invite the ‘righteous’

but the ‘sinners’ – to change their ways.” (Luke 5:31-32 Phillips)

These scribes and Pharisees, so full of their own righteousness and pomposity, were like a doctor who

was trained to treat the sick and help them heal, but decided he really didn’t want to be around sick

people.



Jesus, on the other hand, was the Great Physician of the soul; and He wanted to be around those who

were sick with sin. He was and is the only One who can diagnose and completely cure our sin sickness.

Jesus’ answer to the grumbling scribes and Pharisees was simple and yet profound. How could He heal

those who were sick with sin if He didn’t spend time with them?

As for you and me, how can we be lights in our world if we mask up and avoid those who are sin-sick?

Ask God to show you how your life can light up the pathway of healing for someone sick with sin.

By Judy Shrout