Christ and Sinners 04/15/2007 Dr. Dane Boyles

Christ and Sinners Introduction In Mark chapter 2 Jesus had entered the city of Capernaum. There were a lot of synagogues in Galilee where the Jewish religious fervent was profound. There was Hellenism, a lifestyle that influenced manners, dress, architecture, and politics.

Christ and Sinners In Mark 2:1-12, Jesus took a paralyzed man and by his sheer word that man walked. In verses 13-14, Jesus will do in a human moral sense what he did in a physical, miraculous sense with the paralyzed man.

Christ and Sinners Do you think it possible to take a man in the middle of his sin and by the mere word of Christ to turn him into a priest?

Christ and Sinners 13 Once again Jesus went out beside the lake. A large crowd came to him, and he began to teach them. 14 As he walked along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax collector’s booth. (Mark 2:13-14a, NIV)

Christ and Sinners Are you familiar with what a tax collector was? Back then one would bid to become a tax collector. A tax collector was a social and religious outcast. Their disgrace was so bad that it even extended to their families.

Christ and Sinners  What a tax collector would do: -Charge a higher tax than Rome demanded.  They were the Benedict Arnolds of Israel.  They said of Jesus, “This man cannot be who he says he is because he is a friend of tax collectors.”

Christ and Sinners Tax collectors were the most hated and represented the lowest of the moral rung.  A leper is the lowest on the physical rung.  The paralytic is the lowest on the disability rung.

Christ and Sinners Can Christ go to a tax collector, in the middle of this tax office, while morally disabled, and by his word pick him up? 14 “Follow me,” Jesus told him, and Levi got up and followed him. (Mark 2:14b, NIV)

Christ and Sinners  Does everyone know where the name Levi comes from? Levi was the third of the twelve sons of Jacob and Leah, the one with whom the priesthood begins.  A priest was to bring men to God, and stand between God and man.

Christ and Sinners Matthew is an evangelist in one verse. 15 While Jesus was having dinner at Levi’s house, many tax collectors and “sinners” were eating with him and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. (Mark 2:15)

Christ and Sinners  Levi gave a great banquet for Jesus in his house. Levi was making a bold statement: my money, my house and my life is yours. Let’s look at the conflict in verse 16.

Christ and Sinners 16 When the teachers of the law who were Pharisees saw him eating with the “sinners” and tax collectors, they asked his disciples: “Why does he eat with tax collectors and ‘sinners’?” (Mark 2:16, NIV)

Christ and Sinners  Jesus’ revolutionary action. Jesus is revolutionary because He is friends with sinful men.  I would say that because in human religion, the haves do not fellowship with the have nots.  For instance, the untouchables within the Hindu religion.

Christ and Sinners If you put that concept into biblical Christianity, you see that God the holy goes out among the untouchables to find them.  The religious people have a problem with Christ’s ministry of forgiveness and they have a problem with Christ getting among the lost and loving them.

Christ and Sinners  You’ll find generally where you don’t have TRUTH, you have RULES. –We have a problem that the unholy can eat with the holy! –Well, Jesus answer is: “These are the only guys with whom I will eat.”

Christ and Sinners 17 On hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” (Mark 2:17, NIV)

Christ and Sinners  Jesus says, “I call sinners, they are sick and I have the serum.” Jesus says “you can have friendships with all the non-Christians you want to.”

Christ and Sinners As long as you understand three things:  Jesus is the doctor.  They are the patients.  Jesus is here to make them well, not to catch their sickness.

Christ and Sinners  Conclusion Religion has a problem with free grace and the fact that “God the holy” and his people will actually eat with and love unholy people. How many of you can name three non- Christian people with whom you are eating?

Christ and Sinners If you can’t, maybe you’re having a collision with Christ and human religion. Jesus says, “Let’s get out amongst them!”

Jesus’ Passion Moving Christianity out of church buildings and into our community is Jesus’ passion! Meeting the real needs of real people is what Jesus cares about!

Christ and Sinners 04/15/2007 Dr. Dane Boyles