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Mark 2:15-17
The Bible takes us directly from the calling of Matthew/Levi (Mark 2:13-14) to a dinner event at Levi’s house that included Jesus dining with many tax collectors and sinners (Mark 2:15). But we also learn in Mark 2:15 (NKJV), “for there were many, and they followed Him.” The main focus of the text is the question from the scribes and Pharisees to the disciples of Jesus of “How is it that He eats and drinks with tax collectors and sinners?”, but this is also the first place that we learn that “for there were many, and they followed Him” (Mark 2:15). With this being noted, we can only speculate of who the many were but have, I believe, reason that they were friends of Matthew/other tax collector friends of his, or possibly witnesses of these past events of Jesus healing the leper (Mark 1:40-45) and the paralytic (Mark 2:1-12). These people could have very well come from the multitudes that came to Jesus after hearing about His healing of the leper (Mark 1:45). All the disciples of Jesus we knew of up until this point is is Andrew, Simon, James, John, and Levi/Matthew. Nevertheless, it is noted in the Bible that “there were many, and they followed Him” (Mark 2:15).
This is an example that Jesus came to call those in need of healing.
This is a promise that we must first realize that we are in need of Jesus before we can hear His calling on our lives.
I would generally divide Mark 2:15-16 and Mark 2:17 into two separate lessons, but it is important that we see in this combined lesson the most important part of it, which is the words of Jesus in Mark 2:17 as He gives answer to the question of the scribes and Pharisee to His disciples as He overhears this conversation. Jesus declares, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” This is not to indicate that the scribes and Pharisees were righteous, as they may have taken these words of Jesus in their own self-righteous attitudes, but that Jesus came to call sinners to repentance. As those who are sick are aware of it, we, as sinners, must also realize that we are sick before we have the awareness that we are in need of healing. As long as we refuse to go to the doctor for help, we will remain in our sickness of sin.
Dear LORD,
This lesson gives us a picture of the attitude of the self-righteous who feel as if they are not in need of Jesus because they have it all together in themselves. Please help us to not fall into this trap of the devil’s deceit to keep us away from opening our hearts to Jesus and realizing our need for His forgiveness that only comes from first realizing that we are in need of a Savior as we cannot save ourselves no matter how good we may believe that we are. Please help us to humble ourselves to repentance – to turn from trusting in ourselves and to trusting in Jesus to save us as He is the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to You LORD God Almighty except through Him (John 14:6). In Jesus name I pray, amen.