THE ACCUSED: A Friend of Sinners.

“The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and “sinners,”
Luke 7:34.

Jesus was one of the most prominent and controversial figures of his time. Because of this, he was a target of different accusations: A Friend of Sinners, a Savior who couldn’t save himself, and a Deceiver.

(Read Matthew 9:9-13, Jesus dines with Tax Collectors).

Tax Collectors during that period were considered corrupt and sinful. When Jesus dined in Matthew’s house among tax collectors, the Pharisees accused him of being friends with them.

“When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, ‘Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and ‘sinners’?”
Matthew 9:11.

ACCUSATION: Jesus is a friend of sinners.
VERDICT: Guilty.

JESUS’ RESPONSE TO THE ACCUSATION:

Jesus seeks the sick, not the healthy.

“It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick”
Matthew 9:12.

We must be careful that we do not have the pharisaical attitude, thinking that we are better than others. We must learn to be instruments in restoring others to God instead of condemning others.

“Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men – robbers, evildoers, adulterers – or even like this tax collector” Luke 18:10-11.

Jesus desires mercy, not sacrifice.

“ But go and learn what this means: I desire mercy, not sacrifice.” For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners”
Matthew 9:13.

There is no need for us to suffer for our sins to be near God. The finished work of Christ on the Cross has restored us to God.

Jesus came for the sinners, not for the righteous.

“ But go and learn what this means: I desire mercy, not sacrifice.” For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners”
Matthew 9:13.

“I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent” Luke 15:7.

Jesus came to save and restore us, making us into new creations. He has the heart for the people who do not know him: Sinners, drunkards, thieves, robbers, outcast, and the unaccepted.

JESUS CAME TO SEEK AND SAVE THE LOST.