Christ of Sinners

Christ of Sinners and the Sick

Matt 9:9-13

1. There is a Korean saying that “people associate with the same kind.” It is natural and comfortable, because they share the same life and world view, the same life style and favorites, and the same culture and feeling. When we associate with the same kind, we feel proud and free, because we praise and recognize one another. Pharisees could not understand Jesus’ association with sinners, for they associated only with the same kind of the legally perfect, i.e. the righteous in their way. So, they criticized Jesus: “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”(11)

2. We have been also educated not to associate with sinners, in order to protect and glorify ourselves. Therefore, it is really hard to understand and follow Jesus’ way of human association. But, Jesus associated with sinners like prostitute, murderer, drunkard, and tax collector. In this aspect, we are closer to Pharisees than Jesus, even though we claim that we are the followers of Jesus.

3. To the Pharisees, Jesus responded that “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick… I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”(12-13) By these words, he fundamentally challenged our principle of human association. When we disassociate with sinners, we think that we are not sinners but the righteous and honorable. If it is true, Jesus has not come for us. Jesus has no interest with the righteous, and the righteous do not need Jesus to forgive their sins. Jesus and the righteous do not meet together. It means that we can meet Jesus only when we confess that we are sinners.

4. Since the Word of God declares that “There is no one righteous, not even one”(Rom 3:10), there are two groups of humans: those who know that they are sinners, and those who do not know that they are sinners. Shoplifters of small items easily plead guilty, while those who stole millions of dollars intelligently resist plead guilty. Many of them still live prosperous and free with social respect and self respect.

5. Last Monday, I participated in the Court and Clergy Conference and learned that 2 million people are imprisoned in USA. They are judged as sinners and they are paying the debt of sin. A more shocking and sad fact is that 70% of prisoners return to prison again in 3 years. When a small fault or misdemeanor is accidentally committed, the one is arrested and sent to jail and prison. As a matter of fact, this kind of behavior fault happens to every one of us, but only whether arrested or not makes difference. Once arrested and imprisoned, 70% will return again and again. It is the life as sinner and social outcast. Somebody says that they are fundamentally different with having criminal genes. But, the Bible does not say so. We are all sinners. We still live free as honorable citizen only because we are in the grace of God. Even though police and prosecutor do not recognize, we violate many articles of law here and there. In the Conference, a group of black pastors strongly criticized that the American court system is failing to control crimes and making more poor people permanent criminals. One of them protested why the court takes away children from parents simply because they tried to discipline their rebellious children according to the Scripture and their own culture. If American standard of child abuse is applied to Korea, so many Korean teachers and parents will be prosecuted and even imprisoned. Even in America, so many husbands and fathers are outside of jail simply because it is not reported. Only in Kalamazoo County, more than 10,000 people are arrested every year. What’s the difference between them and us?

6. The law of God is perfect and precise, and nothing is hidden to the eyes of God. Unlike human policeman, prosecutor, and judge, God does not miss or misjudge anything. He sees not only our external behavior but also our internal motif. All the hidden sins to human eyes will be clearly exposed in His judgment. When a single article of human laws is violated, we are arrested and condemned as sinner, how much more severe would it be in the Court of God? Human prison term is limited, but God’s prison will be eternal. Do not be deceived that our violation against God’s law would not be prosecuted. We have to always humble ourselves before God. God is gracious to those who recognize and confess their sins: “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.”(1 John 1:8-10) Do you want to meet Jesus and fellowship with Him? When you confess to be sinner, Christ will come to you, have a wonderful fellowship with you, and experience the joyful grace of being forgiven with total release from guilt feeling and peace like a river.

7. To confess that we are sinner is to follow Jesus. When Matthew obeyed the call of Jesus, he did not disassociate with his sinner friends. He prepared a dinner for Jesus at his house and invited “many tax collectors and sinners.”(10) To follow Jesus is to associate with sinners, not because we want to continue sin together with them, but because Jesus wants to meet them. Those who are proud and self-righteous do not come and welcome Jesus. Only sinners will welcome Jesus. Confess that you are sinner and Jesus will forgive you and free you totally from your guilt feeling by the cleansing power of the Holy Spirit. On the other hand, when we think that we are quite righteous, our soul will be dry and hungry, no grace and no joy. The Word of God commanded for us to “Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners.”(Heb 13:3) To be a good disciple of Jesus, we have to try to associate and make friend with social dislikes such as prisoners, sinners, handicapped, low class, dirty and poor and introduce Jesus to them, for Jesus came to the world for sinners.