And as Jesus reclined at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and his disciples. And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” But when he heard it, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.” Matthew 9:10-12 (ESV)
Scripture: Matthew 9: 9-13
Jesus probably would have been called a hypocrite today. He’s hanging out with the poor, the tax collectors, and the Pharisees. This devotion digs deeper to see if that charge was accurate.
The tax collectors took advantage of the poor in Jesus’ day. That precipitated a degree of animosity toward them. The poor wouldn’t have wanted to be at the same dinner party with the tax collectors. Case in point, Zacchaeus and his tree-climbing exploits. (Lk. 19: 1-10). The crowd started muttering when Zacchaeus got the big invite.
The Pharisees would not have been caught dead around either one. In the Pharisees’ minds, both the poor and the tax collectors were so far beneath them.
Sounds like a real fun dinner party, doesn’t it? But here was Jesus, smack dab on the middle of them. What was He doing?
The Pharisees were always trying to trip Jesus up. When they called Jesus on this supposed indiscretion, He had a good come back. He said healthy people do not need doctors — sick people do.
What Was Jesus Doing?
Jesus was loving people. Yes, they couldn’t help Him get a leg up in the world. Yes, they purposefully had done some not nice things to others. Yes, they were judgmental when they weren’t perfect.
But Jesus had come to save them – all of them. “He died for all, so that those who live should no longer live for themselves, but only for him who died and was raised to life for their sake” (II Cor. 5: 15 GNT).
Jesus Comes to Us Individually
Jesus calls each of us individually to repentance. “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance” (II Pet. 3:9 ESV). He will wait for us to answer that call, no matter who we are or what we have done.
Ecclesiastes 7: 20 says, “There is no one on earth who does what is right all the time and never makes a mistake” (GNT). Now, I know the Pharisees thought they were the ones who always did right, but they weren’t. Put another way: “Everyone has sinned and is far away from God’s saving presence” (Rom. 3: 23 GNT).
If no one on earth can do all of the do’s and don’t do all of the don’ts, and Jesus could only hang around with people who didn’t sin, Jesus would have been very lonely on earth because there was no one to fit that bill.
We know Jesus is the only Person who never sinned. “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (II Cor. 5:21 NIV). Jesus came as the One who could withstand the temptations of this world so that He could redeem it.
Jesus was tempted. Hebrews 4:15 says, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tested in every way as we are, yet without sin” (HCSB). He was tempted, stood firm, and didn’t sin.
How Do We Apply It?
So, what does that tell us about who we should associate with in this day and age? How would we apply this?
We still have Pharisees. They are the know-it-all’s who have to have things done their way — whether it is right or not. These are the people who judge others. In today’s world, they may even resort to bullying.
We still have the poor. There are many people we can associate with from whom we won’t get much in turn. We won’t get a leg up. We won’t get prestige — we’ll just get friendship.
We still have tax collectors. Regardless of the occupation, we have other people in jobs that make us do what we don’t want to do. We may feel like they knock us down. Maybe they like their jobs; maybe the don’t.
I used to have a job where I was constantly telling people they had to do what they didn’t want to do and couldn’t do what they wanted to do. It was not easy, especially when they don’t understand why you have to follow the established rules.
I found that you had to work with each person or group individually. You have to build a relationship so that trust is established. Once it is, I found it was better to work together to accomplish what needed to be done.
How can you build that relationship if you don’t associate with people? Not going to happen! You have to meet people at their level and steer them God’s way.
No, I am not saying go out and sin with them to build the relationship. I am saying to be intentional in how you approach others. Your intent is to show them that God lives in you. The day of judgment will come, but it won’t be you don’t the judging.
Jesus showed us that we have to build these relationships with everyone God puts in our path. We have to show them Christ in us.
Was Jesus hypocritical? No, He was fulfilling His mission to be the Savior if all. He was showing His love for them by going where they were.
Loving Heavenly Father. You are love (I Jn. 4: 8). You love us so much that You sent Your Son to die for us to save us from our sins (Jn. 3: 16). It is difficult to fathom this immense love. Yet, we are called to reflect it for others to see. Lord, at times we get judgmental and reflect the opposite of that love. Forgive us. Help us to not only reflect that love but to also possess that capability to have that intense love. Amen.
What do you think? Followers of Christ are often accused of being hypocrites these days. How do you counter that claim, and what evidence do you present? Leave me a comment below (about this or anything else) or head over to my Facebook group for some interactive discussion.
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