Look At People As Broken Instead Of Bad

Matthew 9:9-12, “And as Jesus passed forth from thence, he saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he saith unto him, Follow me. And he arose, and followed him. And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples. And when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto his disciples, Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners? But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick.”

One of the most hated professions in Rome was that of a tax collector. The people hated them! Just like today, nobody likes to have their hard-earned money taken away. Tax collectors were notoriously crooked, and took advantage of the people. ...

“Tax collectors, also known as publicans, are mentioned many times in the Bible (mainly in the New Testament). They were reviled by the Jews of Jesus' day because of their perceived greed and collaboration with the Roman occupiers. Tax collectors amassed personal wealth by demanding tax payments in excess of what Rome levied and keeping the difference. They worked for tax farmers. In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus sympathizes with the tax collector Zacchaeus, causing outrage from the crowds that Jesus would rather be the guest of a sinner than of a more respectable or 'righteous' person. Matthew the Apostle in the New Testament was a tax collector.” —Tax Collectors, Wikipedia

So when Jesus sat down to eat with Matthew—a scumbag tax collector—we can now understand why the Pharisees said to Jesus' disciples—“Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners?” (Matthew 9:11b). In fact, when the people saw it—that Jesus was seated in Matthew's house—they started piling in! One sinner after other came to sit with Jesus! This naturally raised eyebrows and curiosity, and a question—why would Jesus sit with these known horrible people, whom were all sinners? Why would Jesus befriend such contemptible people? I believe it is simply because our Lord chose to look at people as being BROKEN rather than BAD! Jesus was trying to help them, because He loved them. In the Lord's eyes, Matthew was a broken man, not a bad man! Jesus saw the harlots as BROKEN women, not BAD women. Jesus sat down with these broken men and women, preaching the Gospel to them, in an effort to save them!!! 

The Pharisees Refused To Repent

The religious, self-righteous, hypocritical, Pharisees asked Jesus why He ate with sinners—“Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners?” (Matthew 9:11b). Here was Jesus' amazing answer in Matthew 9:12b-13, “They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick. But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” These are beautiful truths. Here is a related quote from the Old Testament prophet Hosea. Hosea 6:6, “For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.” Here we see the great heart of God. 

The religious Pharisees were going around pointing fingers at everyone, judging anyone whom they perceived as being a bigger sinner than themselves. That is why God said in Romans 2:1, “Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things.” Since we are ALL GUILTY SINNERS, no one has a Biblical right to condemn another human being for their sins! God is the only Judge!!! 

I choose to look at people as BROKEN rather than BAD. I am a big sinner just like anybody else. I don't judge anyone. When an expensive finely-crafted Swiss watch stops working, do you throw it away? Of course not, you pay to have it repaired by a skilled watchmaker. Personally I hate expensive watches, but it's just an illustration. A human being is of much more value than a watch. Tragically, most people today don't agree with what I just said. The U.S. Supreme Court doesn't place any value on a child in the womb, permitting its termination. They must answer to God for those immoral laws that allow for murder. 

The Pharisees didn't think they were spiritually sick. Therefore, they wouldn't repent! Only sick people need to go to a doctor. The self-righteous Pharisees had a self-inflated view of themselves; therefore, they failed to see their desperate need for the redeeming Savior. They didn't think they were guilty sinners! They actually thought by doing their best to keep the LAW (even though they broke it all the time), that they could merit Eternal Life through the Law (Romans chapter 2; 10:3-4; Galatians 3:1-3). No one can be justified by keeping the LAW (Romans 3:20). 

Repentance Means To Come To Jesus As A Sick Sinner

I don't know if you saw it, but here we see the simple meaning of repentance. To “repent” effectively means to see yourself as a sick needy sinner. Jesus rebuked the Pharisees for not repenting, that they should BELIEVE and be saved. The publicans and harlots saw that they were sick, and needed The Great Physician. Do you see yourself as a sick sinner friend? We all need The Great Physician. 

This is a clear picture of a lack of repentance. Matthew 21:32, “For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not: but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him.” I very much love that Bible passage. We are told that when John the Baptist preached the way of righteousness, pointing the people toward Christ, the tax collectors and harlots BELIEVED; but when the Pharisees saw it, they still refused to repent to believe.

Said the robin to the sparrow, “I really do not know, why these human beings rush around and worry so”; Said the sparrow to the robin, “I think it must be, that they have no heavenly Father, such as cares for you and me!”