It’s almost tax time! What a dreaded chore this has become. In the New Testament, sinners and tax collectors were grouped together. As much as we dislike paying taxes, we don’t call the IRS workers, sinners, do we? After all, it’s their job. However, in the days of the Roman Empire, taxes were part of Pax Romana, “keeping peace” Roman style, and they needed a large army to do it!
The Romans used men from their conquered territories to do the collecting for them and if these collectors could get a little more than was required, then they could keep it for themselves. This was not a good way to make friends! We know that Matthew was a tax collector and was willing to leave that life in order to become a disciple of Jesus. Little Zacheus who climbed the tree to see Jesus, was also a tax collector. However, he claimed that he never defrauded anyone and gave alms to the poor. Still these men were considered to be sinners by the “Establishment.” Collecting money for these pagan conquerors just didn’t set well with those who considered themselves faithful to the commandments of God. They would not associate themselves with any Jew who was at all “questionable” in his occupation or association with others.
When the Torah scholars and Pharisees saw Jesus (Jeshua) with the “tax collectors and sinners” He was guilty by association.. His behavior puzzled them. He claimed to be a prophet sent by God but rather than rebuking these sinners, He rebuked them!
Yeshua always seemed to aim sharp criticism at the religious and the faithful while at the same time generously offering warmth, acceptance, and gentle teaching to the irreligious and lawless of society. He seemed to take delight in denouncing those who wanted to live their lives according to God’s commandments while sympathizing with those who lived in rebellion to God. He was a friend to these tax collectors, fallen women and sinners…that is to say the secular Jews of his day.
The Master explained that He had business with these undesirable people in the same way that a doctor has business with sick people. He told them “it is not those who are well who need a physician but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous but the sinners to repentance.”(Luke 5: 31-32)
So what is the Lord telling them? He is simply saying that because they know the Torah of God and the righteousness of the commandments that He holds them to a much higher standard than those who are secular. He was quick to point out hypocrisy and pretense. He did not level his criticism as a rejection of the “religious”, rather, He sought to bring correction in their thinking.
He did little to rebuke those among His listeners who were not religious. They stood outside of the commandments and had never been interested in the Torah or the idea of what a sinner really was. He wanted to bring them into the kingdom before holding them up to the standards set by God. The Pharisees and scribes interpreted this behavior as hostility toward themselves for wanting to keep the commandments perfectly. “He (Jesus)hangs out with bad company”
To better explain the two different approaches, the Master told a series of three thematically linked parables…..the parable of the lost sheep, the parable of the lost coin, and the parable of the lost son. These three parables describe His goals, and illustrate the reason for His friendship with sinners. His focus on the sinner and the secular did not imply an endorsement of sin or secularism, nor did His strict manner with the scribes imply a rejection of piety. The three parables communicate the heart of his mission…..calling the lost sheep to repentance!
As His disciples, we too must live by the principles that the Lord sets before us.
AbideLines 