Eating with Sinners and Publicans

Those of us who profess to be the followers of Christ are called upon to engage in introspection every once in awhile (2 Corinthians 13:5). It is good to ask ourselves: what are we supposed to be about? Who are we out there trying to help?

We're out there to try to help all people. Sure, that's what the Scripture says (1 Timothy 2:1-4)...but are we really?

Let us hear the example of our Lord.

And it came to pass, as he sat at meat in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with Jesus and his disciples.
And when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto his disciples, "Why eateth your Teacher with the publicans and sinners?"
But when he heard it, he said, "They that are whole have no need of a physician, but they that are sick. But go ye and learn what this meaneth, 'I desire mercy, and not sacrifice', for I came not to call the righteous, but sinners," (Matthew 9:10-13).

We certainly read this passage and rightly castigate those Pharisees for how they missed the boat. Yet how often have we have missed the Pharisee in ourselves? Is it not likely that if we were there we would ask the same thing as the Pharisees did?

Let us explore this passage in more depth.


And it came to pass, as he sat at meat in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with Jesus and his disciples, (v. 10).

Notice who Jesus has association with-- sinners. He has association with those who would need Him the most. We can see the type of result that this association would bring from the example of Zacchaeus in Luke 19:2-10: