“And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, ‘Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.’” – Mark 2:17
The religious of His day were baffled (in a bad way) about why Jesus would share a dinner table with tax collectors and sinners. These were the people on the wrong side of the culture wars of the day! Collaborators, traitors, the lewd and immoral. Yet, Jesus not only paid attention to them, He ate with them as if they had worth and dignity!
Jesus’ response to criticism for this was very clear and simple. These were the people He’d come to rescue. He’d come to those who were deeply aware there was something wrong with their lives in order to offer them salvation through faith in Him. He came to call them out of their sinful patterns and lifestyles and into renewed, holy life following Him. Jesus didn’t spend much time associating with those convinced that their goodness already covered them, because He knew they wouldn’t humble themselves to believe in a Savior.
Too often in modern Christian life, we aren’t much like Jesus. Either we completely surround ourselves with other believers, focusing our energy, attention, and resources on blessing those already saved (or at least convinced of their righteousness) or else we associate uncritically with “sinners” without the intention to actually introduce them to Jesus and call them to a transformed life. If we’re to follow Jesus, we must be out mingling and offering love and dignity to those outside God’s Kingdom, but we must do so with clarity that the invitation to follow Jesus is an invitation to live a supernaturally changed life. Are you living Christ’s rescue mission for sinners made in God’s image?