Subject Seventy

JESUS CAME NOT TO CALL THE RIGHTEOUS

Scripture: Mark 2:13-18

1. Jesus came to the seashore
   1. Man’s life is on the seashore. The sea is not a good thing; rather, the sea is the depth of sins. All that is against God is in the sea. For instance, the demon-possessed herd of swine rushed into the sea. The sea is the nest where the demons make their dwelling place. Movie houses and dancing halls are all seas.
   2. Jesus came to the custom house. The custom house is the place where money is handled, where money is the center of everything. At the movie houses, the dancing halls, the sporting events, the markets, money is the center of conversation. Those who count the money, who handle the money, are all publicans.
2. Jesus came to call the sinners
   Stress that He did not come to call the righteous, and at the same time quote the words of the Lord Jesus.
   1. When Jesus came to the custom house, He met the publicans. During that time the publicans were the most despised people. Money was everything to them, and justice was nothing. They sacrificed morality, reputation, justice, background, personality, everything, all for money.
   2. Today, Jesus is calling the sinners. Jesus never met the good people. Most of those He met were publicans. Are there any good people in the movie theaters and the dancing halls? Can those who sacrifice morality and reputation for money be good people? Jesus came to call such publicans.
      Repeat that He came not to call the righteous. Quote verse 17.
3. The murmuring of the self-righteous
   1. During that time, the Pharisees were questioning within themselves. The Pharisees were the false moralists, the false gentlemen. They had the outward appearance of doing good, yet they did not have the reality of doing good. They questioned why Jesus became the friend of sinners.
   2. In today’s society there are Pharisees. Outwardly, they are cultured gentlemen; inwardly, they are robbers and prostitutes. They look down on the gospel of the Christian faith. They think that only the thieves and sinners need the gospel. They consider themselves gentlemen who do not need the gospel. At this point, strongly condemn these false gentlemen.
4. The joy of sinners
   1. Jesus came to the place where the sinners were. He brought glad tidings and joy.
   2. Jesus is willing to be with sinners. This is the joy of sinners.
   3. Where Jesus is, there is joy.
   4. Whoever responds to the call of Jesus will have joy. Give the example of the tax collector, Levi. When he responded to the call of Jesus, right away he prepared a feast in his house. Preparing a feast is a matter of happiness.
5. What happened to the sinners who were called?
   1. They were freed from the old ways of living; that is, they were freed from their former living. Levi had been a tax collector. When he responded to the Lord’s calling, he immediately left the tax office. He would no longer live a life of sacrificing his life and his reputation for money.
   2. They followed Jesus. When a man is freed from his old ways of living, he immediately follows Jesus and becomes a fully saved person.