On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous but the sinners.” -Matthew 9:12-13
During a discussion with a friend last night, we spoke about how aggravated we were with ourselves; we expressed our frustration with the fact we were so imperfect, we were disappointed with the conditions of our hearts, and we just could not seem to understand why we did not have it together all the time. We were saved by the grace and power of our Lord Jesus Christ, so doesn’t that mean that we should always be perfect and be shinning examples?
As I read the verses above this morning, that discussion came to mind again, and I realized that although most of us were saved by grace, we in fact are merely sinners that were saved by grace. In many Churches, Christians are referred to as saints, but what does that word really mean? The dictionary defines the word saint as a person that is set apart, holy, consecrated, or anyone who is a Christian.
I once read somewhere that ‘if a sinner is a person who sins, does that mean that a saint is a person who does not sin?’ I don’t think so. The Pharisees thought of themselves as ‘saints,’ but I believe that their definition of the term was skewed. In Matthew 9, we read about the calling of a tax collector named Matthew. Jesus was walking by and noticed Matthew sitting at the tax collectors booth. Upon seeing him, Jesus said, “Follow me,” and Matthew got up and followed Him. Then Jesus went to have dinner at Matthew house along with a many tax collectors and ‘sinners.’ When the Pharisees saw this, they asked His disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” The verses above was Jesus’ response to them.
The Pharisees could not seem to fathom why Jesus Christ would want to associate Himself with sinners. Did they think that He should have hung around them instead? Did they think that because they lived righteous lives as ‘saints,’ a righteous man would be better off hanging out with them instead? Jesus made it clear to the Pharisees that He was a doctor that came to the world to save and care for the sick, and be compassionate to the sinners who were in need of a Saviour. I believe that this realization made it difficult for the Pharisees to accept Jesus. They were self righteous and believed that they had it all together, so they could not accept Jesus as a Saviour because they thought they did not need to be saved. But perhaps, they would have been more accepting if He came as a ‘buddy’ instead.
It is imperative, dear friends that we never become spiritually self-reliant Christians that think that because we have been saved, we have become ‘saints’ and are no longer in need of Jesus as a saviour. This mentality is the reason why so many Christians, in their own strength, strive and work so hard to be and look like a saint. This mentality is the reason why the Pharisees could never accept Jesus; they did not need Him.
Saints are simply sinners that have been called and set apart, but we need a Saviour just as much as sinners do, because we are still sinners! We are simply sinners that have been set apart. The difference between a sinner and a saint is that a saint is a sick person that has realized that s/he is sick and has enlisted the help of the Great Physician, while a sinner is a sick person that claims to be healthy and hence does not need a doctor. Which are you?
The moment that we think of ourselves as healthy, we no longer need a doctor and we simply become Pharisees, sorry I meant sinners. Dear friends, please never let your calling into sainthood lessen your dependence on your Saviour and Healer. Never stop coming back to Him, never stop needing him! As long as we remain in this flesh, we remain unhealthy people that are in desperate need of the Great Physician. Please never forget this.
Grace and peace be with you.
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SAINTS OR SINNERS?