This is our second study on this topic. Please click HERE for an intro to this study.
We will begin our study for this post in Matthew 9:10-13.

Matthew 9:10-13

10 While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and “sinners” came and ate with him and his disciples. 11 When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and ‘sinners’?”

12 On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 13 But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Observations

The Pharisees apparently thought that a righteous person should not mingle with or be seen with sinners. That would ruin a person’s reputation. A righteous person, to them, should only be seen with the upper class of society.

But Jesus was more concerned with serving others. He reasoned that we cannot help the sinner unless we go to them and be seen with them. And also, he did not come to help those who think they are already good enough (the Pharisees), but to help those who know they are sinners. Thus, He was saying to the Pharisees that He could do nothing for them; they had too much pride.

Applications

We should not be so concerned with our reputation or how we look to others. We should be more concerned with helping others who are in need, who need our mercy. So, wherever we go we should seek out those who have needs and who are open to our help. And we should not waist our time with those like the Pharisees who think they are good enough already.