CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE DAILY DEVOTIONAL ON YOUTUBE
Matthew 9:10-13
Jesus continues His shocking ways of teaching as He does something that no Jew, who, in seeking the God of heaven would have ever done – He sat down to eat with a group of tax collectors and sinners. He associated with the worst of sinners (in the eyes of the Jews) and put Himself in the midst of them.
The Pharisees obviously questioned this action to the disciples of Jesus as they must have believed that they had finally found the evidence that Jesus must be blaspheming God. But Jesus’ reply in His defense was, “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’ [Hosea 6:6]. For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance” (Matthew 9:12-13, NKJV).
This is an example of the sincere heart-felt compassion of God working through Jesus in seeking and saving the sinners of this world.
The things that Jesus did were hard for people to accept because He did and said things that were different than that of which was the accustomed norm for the time. Jesus brought the ways of God to the corrupted ways of man as the ways of man’s traditions had become a way of finding a way to convince themselves that they were good enough to receive God’s blessings and inherit the gift of eternal life in heaven. But that is the ways of Satan’s trickery and deceit: he convinces us that God will bend the rules for us if we believe that we are doing and saying things that are good enough in our own eyes. If Satan can keep us in this way of thinking, then we will be lost forever as man’s ways are not God’s ways, and man’s ways will never be good enough to earn the righteousness of God’s blessings of salvation and eternal life in heaven. But that is why He sent His One and only Son – because man, in and of himself, is not good enough to save himself from the eternal punishment for sin. No one has lived a perfect life, which is God’s requirement for righteousness – no one has fulfilled all the requirements of the Law given to Moses. The whole purpose of the Law was to show man that we are not able to keep it – we need a Savior – one who can help us in our sins to overcome them and be redeemed back into God’s favor. That’s why God sent Jesus, because in His humanity He was able to experience life as a man; but in His deity, was able to overcome the trials and temptations of this world and remain sinless when He died on the cross becoming the sinless sacrifice required by the Law to bring redemption (John 3:16-17). He arose from the dead proving that He is more powerful than death as He died, which is the punishment for sin which He had none. But He died, and in dying a sinless death, paid the penalty for sin, and then arose from the dead signifying His authority over Satan, death, and sin so that in Him we may now find life eternal. John 14:6 tells us that He is the way, the truth, and the life! And no one can find salvation in the God of heaven without Him! He is Jesus! He is our Lord and Savior! In Him is life eternal for all who will put and keep their faith and trust in Him. Believe on Jesus today and be saved from sin!
Dear LORD,
Jesus brought a shocking new way to life eternal, and did so because we, as humanity, have turned righteousness into a self-seeking righteousness that bends Your ways to our own desires. Please help us to see that we need to change our ways, our thoughts, and our desires to match Your ways as You have given us the instructions to life eternal in Your Word and through salvation in Your One and only Son Christ Jesus. Please help us to believe in our Savior – the Savior of the world – Jesus! In Jesus name I pray, amen.