During the time of Jesus, tax collectors were widely despised among the Jews. They were known to exploit Jewish citizens by overcharging them and keeping some of the money for themselves. So why would Jesus call a tax collector to follow Him, let alone eat with him and other sinners?
The answer is found in Jesus’ response. He uses the image of a physician to describe Himself as the healer who came for the sick (Mark 2:17). Like the paralytic man from Mark 2:5, the greatest healing we need is the forgiveness of sins. Therefore, Jesus’ illustration as a physician shows us His saving mission of calling sinners like Levi to repentance and granting them forgiveness of sins.
For the scribes and Pharisees, however, seeing Jesus fellowship with sinners challenged their understanding of holiness and tradition (Mark 2:16). Particularly because they saw themselves as righteous and not in need of forgiveness. Like the scribes in the previous section of Mark, they didn’t understand the Messiah’s mission of saving sinners.
Sinners like us who are in urgent need of forgiveness. Like the Pharisees, we may believe our deeds to be good and not need mercy for our sins. Yet, Scripture teaches us that we have all sinned and fallen short of God’s glory (Romans 3:23). For this reason, Jesus voluntarily gave his life as a ransom for the sins of his people, so that anyone who puts their trust in His finished work at the cross and repents may receive forgiveness of their sins.
