The Lord Jesus Reaching Out to Sinners

by Mitchell Tan
January 20, 2022

THE LORD’S HEART OF MERCY FOR SINNERS

The Lord Jesus truly has a big heart of mercy for sinners. He had just called Matthew, a sinful tax collector, to follow Him and he joyfully did so. With much gratitude, he honoured the Lord Jesus with a great feast. This was also his way of saying goodbye to his fellow tax collectors and for them to have a chance to meet our Saviour. The way the Lord Jesus related to them was amazing.

“Now it happened, as Jesus sat at the table in the house, that behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Him and His disciples.”
Matthew 9:10

This group of people were described as “tax collectors and sinners”. The tax collectors were regarded as sinful people too. There were many other sinners who came and were comfortable enough to sit with Him. The Lord gently and mercifully allowed them to eat with Him and His disciples There was such tenderness shown to them. He did not judge nor condemn them.

WHEN THERE IS NO MERCY SHOWN TO SINNERS

The Pharisees on the other hand had a judgmental spirit. When they saw the Lord Jesus dining with them, they complained to His disciples about why He was eating with them. Even though the disciples were sitting with them, the focus of the Pharisees was to criticise Him. There was no hint of mercy shown to these sinful people. They obviously despised and looked down on them.

THE LORD’S EXPLANATION ON SHOWING MERCY TO SINNERS

“When Jesus heard that, He said to them, ‘Those who are well have no need of a physician but those who are sick. But go and learn what this means: “I desire mercy and not sacrifice.” For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.’”
Matthew 9:12-13

1. PERSPECTIVE IN SHOWING MERCY

The Lord Jesus was there to help sinners find spiritual healing. He saw them as spiritually very sick. They were in need of a divine physician who could heal them. Without the Lord Jesus, there would be no healing within. The Lord Jesus was that spiritual physician who could forgive them of their sins and heal them spiritually. This was in part revealing Himself and His ministry to them.

2. PRINCIPLE OF SHOWING MERCY

The Lord showed great mercy to these sinners and His basis of doing so was from the Scriptures. He asked the Pharisees to go and learn from a verse from Hosea 6:6 where God spoke how He desires mercy and not sacrifice. This was a principle taught by the LORD God then. What the LORD God desires most is not external religiosity like the mere offering of sacrifices but having hearts that know Him and will show mercy to others in their lives. Showing mercy is what the LORD God desires and requires us to practise (Micah 6:8). We too are to love mercy as the Lord Jesus did.

3. PURPOSE IN SHOWING MERCY

The Lord’s mission on earth was to call sinners to repentance. He came to call them to repent from their sins and to have salvation. He had taught earlier of how He has the power to forgive sins (Matthew 9:6). This was something that the Lord Jesus was impressing upon the hearts of the disciples; He came to bring salvation to sinful people.

PERSONAL APPLICATION

If such sinful people can find forgiveness of sin through their repentance, so much more we can also.

1. FOR SEEKERS

The Lord Jesus is most merciful. No matter how sinful we are, we can still find forgiveness and spiritual healing from the divine Physician. Let’s seek to repent and believe in Him.

2. FOR BELIEVERS

Our hearts should be deeply impacted by the great mercy of the Lord Jesus. Let’s learn to exercise faith and to also show mercy to others who may be sinful. Let’s reach out to them and lead them to our Lord Jesus.

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