Jesus did not come to call the righteous, but sinners

Each day we must learn to have mercy with others, just as the Lord is merciful to us. If He being God has mercy on us, then why should not we do the same with the others?

When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
Matthew 9:11

The first thing is, a person does not go to the doctor unless he feels sick, now, when a person goes to the doctor it is because he is sick. Jesus sat with sinners and publicans, because these were the ones who needed divine healing.

When the Pharisees saw these actions of Jesus, they got angry, they felt bad, because the Master was sitting among sinners, but what they did not understand was that Jesus was with them because they needed Him.

On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick
Matthew 9:12

How can we explain how those people were healed? Some were perhaps physically ill, others were spiritually sick, so they needed to be healed and saved.

For this reason Jesus told the scribes and Pharisees that the healthy have no need of healing, giving them to understand that those who were surrounding Jesus at that time, were those who needed to be healed.

But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
Matthew 9:13

The scribes and Pharisees were always ready to criticize and make sacrifices before men for their vainglory, that is why Jesus tells them that instead of destroying those who needed the word of life, they should show mercy to their neighbor.

To understand this teaching of Jesus, we must remember that mercy is one of the greatest expressions of God’s love. Mercy does not only mean feeling compassion; it means acting with kindness even when others do not deserve it. In the days of Jesus, many people were judged and marginalized because of their condition, but the Lord broke those human barriers to reveal the heart of God toward the lost.

The Pharisees, although knowledgeable in the law, lacked understanding of its true intention. They thought righteousness was measured by external actions, by sacrifices and rituals, but Jesus revealed that the true essence of God’s law is mercy. Without mercy, religious practices become empty and lose their meaning. Jesus wanted them to see that God is more interested in a transformed heart than in hollow traditions.

When Jesus sat with sinners, He was not approving their lifestyle, He was extending a hand to restore them. This teaches us a powerful principle: the church is not a museum of saints, but a hospital for the broken. If Jesus welcomed those rejected by society, then we as believers must reflect that same grace toward others. Nobody changes through rejection; transformation happens through love and truth.

Many times we fall into the same attitude as the Pharisees without realizing it. We judge others by their past, their mistakes, their weakness, or their appearance. But Jesus invites us to see beyond that. He invites us to be instruments of healing instead of instruments of condemnation. Mercy lifts people up, while judgment without love pushes them farther away.

Furthermore, the phrase “I desire mercy, not sacrifice” reminds us that God values our character more than our rituals. A merciful heart reveals that we have truly known God. Mercy is evidence of a life touched by grace. When we forgive, help, and embrace the broken, we reflect the same love that Christ poured on us daily.

Let us also remember that at one point we were the “sick” who needed the Great Physician. We were the ones sitting in darkness until His light reached us. This should make us walk in humility, gratefulness, and compassion. A believer who forgets the mercy received easily becomes harsh toward others, but one who remembers God’s grace becomes a fountain of mercy.

In conclusion, Jesus teaches us that our mission is not to point fingers, but to extend hands. As He sat with sinners to heal and transform them, we must also learn to show mercy, to draw near to those who are hurting, and to reflect the heart of our Savior. Mercy is not a weakness; it is divine strength manifested through love.