Jesus seeks out those who (know that they) need him.
Mark 2:14-17 14 As he was walking along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, "Follow me." And he got up and followed him. 15 And as he sat at dinner in Levi's house, many tax collectors and sinners were also sitting with Jesus and his disciples-- for there were many who followed him. 16 When the scribes of the Pharisees saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, they said to his disciples, "Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?" 17 When Jesus heard this, he said to them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick; I have come to call not the righteous but sinners."
The problem with Pharisees (both the ones that lived in the 1st century and the ones that live today) is that they don't know they are sick. They believe that if they follow their list of rules and make sure everyone else follows their list of rules too, then God will be forced to bless them. This is the way of religion! Religion tries to control God and this is their way of controlling God - forcing God to bless them because they have behaved! Truth of the matter is... "They got nothing!" They can't even see that they are sick.
Shockingly Jesus states, "I have come to call not the righteous, but sinners." He has come to call those who know that they are sick sinners. The Pharisees are the "righteous", but only in their own minds. They've spent a lot of time trying to figure out what set of rules to follow and a lot more time trying to figure out how not to break their fine set of rules. Whoo hoo! Quite a fascinating life they have ahead of them... getting up every day as a slave to a long list of rules. Sadly, many (if not most of us) who call ourselves Christians live this way even today!
Stop admiring the rule keepers! Stop thinking they are disciplined and godly! They are so far gone that Jesus isn't even going to waste his time trying to "call" them! He isn't even going to say, "follow me" to them. There is no point. They don't think they need him.
Jesus didn't come to further the cult of rule keeping. Our life's purpose is not to keep a list of rules, but to walk in relationship with God - serving God and others. In the last chapter, John wrote how Jesus would make this possible: "Jesus has come to baptize you with the Spirit." And when that happens, we are guided by the Spirit not by a list of rules. We will live in relationship with God not a relationship with a list of rules! This is a far more abundant life than rule keeping. The rules can't tell you who needs your help today. They can't tell you who to marry or where to spend your time or money. The rules don't love you - they don't want to see you at your best. God does.
But first we need to see ourselves as the tax collectors and sinners see themselves... broken and in need of Jesus. Desire to hear Jesus say, "follow me."
Do we ignore Jesus' teaching that we can't follow him until we know we need him?
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