Are You Righteous, or a Sinner?

Mark 2:13-17
Richard Spencer | Sunday, December 01, 2019
Copyright © 2019, Richard Spencer

The passage we are considering from Mark this morning presents us with a wonderful picture of God’s mercy, but also with a stern warning to have an honest and accurate view of ourselves.

The setting for this passage is the north-west shore of the Sea of Galilee near Capernaum, the town which served as Jesus’ home base while he was in the region of Galilee. It was also the town in which the apostles Peter and Andrew, and their cousins James and John the sons of Zebedee had a fishing business. Christ preached in the synagogue there and also performed a number of miracles in or near this town. In fact, in Matthew 11:23 we are told that Christ rebuked the town for its general lack of repentance, saying, “And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted up to the skies? No, you will go down to the depths. If the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Sodom, it would have remained to this day.” Therefore, we must take note that whenever we are privileged enough to hear the Word of God or to see his mighty grace at work, we will be held to account if we don’t acknowledge and respond to it. And we here at Grace Valley have that privilege continually. So we should be very careful to not let God’s words fall to the ground.

Our passage begins in Verse 13 by telling us that “Once again Jesus went out beside the lake. A large crowd came to him, and he began to teach them.” The “once again” indicates that this was something Jesus had done a number of times before. Capernaum was indeed a privileged town. And then, either while teaching or, perhaps, after finishing his teaching, Jesus called a tax collector named Levi to follow him as we read in Verse 14. This Levi is also known as Matthew, the apostle who wrote the gospel that bears his name. The name Matthew means “gift of the Lord” and some postulate that the name was given to him by Jesus, in much the same way as he gave the name Peter to Simon. We don’t know a great deal about this man Levi, or Matthew. All three of the synoptic gospels tell us about his being called, but other than that, his showing up in the lists of the apostles, and being the author of one of our gospel accounts, we know nothing more about him.

I want to consider this passage under five headings this morning. We will first look at Jesus’ teaching. Then, secondly, we will examine Jesus’ call, and, thirdly, Levi’s response. Then, fourthly, we will look at the World’s disdain and finally, God’s response. So, let’s begin by looking at Jesus’ teaching.

I.  Jesus’ Teaching

We aren’t told how much of Jesus’ teaching Levi heard before he was called, but it is reasonable to assume that he at least knew the basic message. And what was the basic message of Jesus’ teaching? We are given a short summary in Mark 1:15; Jesus said, “The time has come, … The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!” The time has come could also be translated as the time is fulfilled, as it is in the ESV. The idea is that Christ came in fulfillment of all the Old Testament prophecies made about him. He is the Messiah first promised to Adam and Eve in the garden and who was then progressively revealed to his people over nearly two thousand years.

God created this universe for a purpose, which is to glorify himself, in part by creating his church, his holy people, the bride of Christ and to bring them to a new heaven and earth to spend eternity with him. All of history is unfolding according to God’s plan to fulfill that purpose. And central to that purpose is the life and work of Jesus Christ, who came to save God’s people.

Jesus is the Son of David, the heir to the throne. He is the suffering servant of Isaiah who would take up our infirmities and carry our sorrows, be pierced for our transgressions and crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. He is the Son of Man seen by Daniel. He is the only Savior and Lord of creation.

And he declared that the kingdom of God is near. The kingdom of God implies the rule of God. When Jesus taught his disciples to pray, we read in Matthew 6:9-10 that he told them to begin by saying; “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” When God’s kingdom comes in its fullness in the new heaven and earth, it will be the home of righteousness and everyone will do God’s will perfectly and with great joy. And that kingdom is near. God is bringing it to fruition through a process and Jesus came to defeat Satan and purchase the freedom of all of God’s people. And if you have been called into that kingdom, you have been called to a life of obedience to God’s revealed will.

And so Jesus taught that we must repent and believe the good news. We must repent because we are all rebels who were born sinners and we sin every day. As King David wrote in Psalm 51:5, “Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.”

We have done that which God commanded us not to do and we have failed to do that which he commanded us to do. As Paul wrote in Romans 3:10-12, “There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.” And then in Romans 8:5-8 he tells us that “Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; … The mind of sinful man is death, … the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God.”

We were spiritually dead as Paul wrote in Ephesians 2:1-3; “As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath.”

The obvious conclusion from all of this is that we must repent, which means to change our minds and turn away from those wicked ways. But, in addition, we must believe. When we turn away from sin and self-reliance, we must turn to Jesus Christ and trust him completely. True repentance and faith always come together; they are two sides of the same coin.

We must acknowledge that Jesus is who he said he is; God, the great I AM, Jehovah. The only self-existent, independent, Creator, Redeemer, Savior and Lord of the universe. We must believe him when he declared in John 14:6 that “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” In other words, he claimed absolute exclusivity. There is no other way to be saved from eternal hell but surrender to the Lord Jesus Christ. All other religions, and all so-called Christian churches that do not preach the true gospel found in the Bible are false and cannot save anyone.

We must believe Jesus when he said in John 10:30 that “I and the Father are one.” We must believe as we read in Mark 2:10 that he has authority to forgive sins, which is something only God can do. That is why he taught with authority, not as the teachers of the law (Mark 1:22), because he has all authority in heaven and on earth (Matthew 28:18).

And he told us in Matthew 16:24 that “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” In other words, we must die to ourselves and walk in obedience to our Lord Jesus.

And so, it is in the context of this preaching that we come to my next point, Jesus’ call.

II.  Jesus’ Call

In our text, and in the parallel texts, Jesus’ call to Levi consisted in just two words, “Follow me”. It is in the imperative mood in the Greek, so it is a command, not a suggestion or request. Jesus told us, as we read in Matthew 22:14, that “many are invited, but few are chosen.” And in this case, we know for certain by Levi’s response that he was chosen and had received Jesus’ effectual call. In other words, he was born again, or regenerated. We don’t know exactly when that happened, it could certainly have been before, but having been regenerated he obeyed his Lord. So, when Jesus commanded, “Follow me”, Levi responded.

And we must pause to consider the nature of God’s call. First, it was incredibly gracious. Levi was a rebellious sinner, as we all are. But he was a particularly notorious sinner. In the Jewish culture of the time tax collectors were despised. The Roman government did not collect taxes directly from the people. They contracted with individuals to collect the taxes and those individuals always collected more than they were required to, which is how they made their money. These tax collectors were reviled as traitors by the Jewish people because they served the Roman government and because they were typically dishonest and became rich by exploiting their fellow Jews by collecting far more than required. Therefore, Jesus calling a tax collector to be his disciple was a scandalous thing in the eyes of most Jews, but it is also simultaneously a great demonstration of God’s grace.

God does not see us as men and women, black and white, smart and dumb, good looking or not, tall or short, or any of these externalities. He views us all as fallen human beings made in his image. And he chose us based on his own perfectly free will, not based on anything in us that makes us worthy and not because he foresaw that we would choose him.

The second thing we should note about the nature of this call is that it is efficacious; it has its desired effect. It is not true that everyone who hears the gospel will respond in repentance and faithful obedience. But whenever God issues his specific, efficacious call, it cannot fail. Now that should be obvious. How on earth could a mere creature effectively oppose the will of the Creator? God tells us, in Isaiah 55:10-11, “As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.”

And, in Romans 8:30 Paul tells us that those God “predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.” Now this is not a complete list of the items in the order of salvation, but it again makes clear that God’s specific calling of those he has predestinated is effectual. It always results in regeneration, which then brings forth the fruit of repentance and faith, by which we are united to Christ and justified in God’s sight.

Therefore, the third thing we note about God’s call is that God is sovereign over all the affairs of men, including salvation. And this should be a great comfort to us. If my salvation ultimately depended on me, I would be lost. But, praise God, the fact that it depends on God gives me confidence that, as Paul wrote in Philippians 1:6, “he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

And so we see that God’s call is gracious, efficacious, and sovereign; but we should not conclude that we do nothing. Quite the opposite, if we have been chosen and called by God, we will certainly respond in repentance and faith. And that is just what Levi did, so let’s move on to my third point and look at Levi’s response.

III.  Levi’s Response

We read in our passage that when Jesus said “Follow me”, “Levi got up and followed him.” In other words, he didn’t delay to take care of worldly concerns, he didn’t ask Jesus to tell him exactly what was going to be required of him, he didn’t ask where Jesus was headed, he simply got up and followed. That is true faith. And in the parallel account in Luke 5:28 we are told that “Levi got up, left everything and followed him.” We can’t come to God with any conditions or limitations and we can’t hold on to the world at the same time. We must surrender all and fully commit to the service of God.

We must place our trust completely in Jesus Christ. And doing so is the most reasonable thing a person can do! God alone knows the future because he ordained it and holds it in his hand. And he alone is able to help us in any and every circumstance. In Romans 8:31 Paul asked the rhetorical question, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” And the obvious answer is that no one can effectively oppose us if God is for us.

In fact, I can do nothing without Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. We read in John 15:5 that Jesus himself said, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” Friends, we can’t even sin without Jesus upholding us. Just think about that. When you sin, it is still Jesus who sustains your life. If we meditate on that fact it should help us to not sin. What an affront it is to disobey him while he is simultaneously giving us life and health!

And Levi didn’t just obey by following Jesus and giving up his lucrative position as a tax collector, he also held a banquet to thank and honor Jesus and invited a number of his former friends and colleagues to attend. We are told in Luke 5:29 that it was a “great banquet”, not just a normal dinner. Levi obviously wanted to share the good news that Jesus saves sinners, and more specifically, that Jesus saved him! Jesus saved a wretched, greedy, selfish, despised tax collector. And Jesus can save you and me as well.

Rev. Broderick spoke about the leper who was healed by Christ a couple of weeks ago. This man was so excited by what God had done for him that he ran out and spread the news even though Jesus had told him not to. And, while we certainly don’t condone disobeying Jesus, as Rev. Broderick pointed out, we have been commanded to go and tell the world what God has done. And Levi did just that. He held a great banquet to honor and thank Jesus, and we are told that he invited all kinds of sinners and tax collectors. And take note of the fact that the word sinners is in quotes in your Bible.

If the word were used with its normal plain meaning, it wouldn’t provide a useful description of the people who attended this dinner. After all, we are all sinners! And so, properly used, it isn’t a limiting term at all. But the word is in quotes because it was spoken by the Pharisees. We read in Verse 16 that “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”?’”

The Pharisees were a particular sect of Jews who were very zealous to keep the law of God. They had many rules that had to be followed and Jesus frequently criticized them for allowing their rules and traditions to overrule the Word of God. They looked down on people who didn’t follow all of these rules and called them “sinners” as a pejorative term to distinguish them from themselves. It was this hypocritical self-righteousness that Christ spoke against with the greatest fervor. Their acts of so-called piety were done for men to see. They had absolute disdain for the gospel call to repentance and faith.

And that leads to my fourth point, the world’s disdain.

IV.  The World’s Disdain

The world looks down on Christians. We are viewed as being weak, unable to face the harsh reality of death. We need a crutch to help us get along. But take note that “We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one” as we read in 1 John 5:19. Satan hates Jesus Christ and he hates his followers. He knows he is already defeated and his eternal damnation is certain, but his hatred drives him to oppose God with all his power. And since he can’t do anything to harm God directly, he goes after God’s children.

And Satan uses human beings to attack us, remember that the “whole world is under the control of the evil one”. Notice that these Pharisees didn’t accuse Jesus to his face, they went to his disciples. We read in Verse 16 that “they asked his disciples: ‘Why does he eat with tax collectors and “sinners”?’” They were hoping to plant seeds of doubt and draw these people away from Christ. Satan and his demons are doomed and as the old saying goes, misery loves company. So Satan wants you to be doomed as well. He doesn’t want you to pay attention to God’s warnings and his gracious offer of salvation. He wants you to be distracted or asleep and pay no attention to this sermon. He wants you to be completely absorbed in this life and seek its pleasures alone. But the pleasures of this life are no match for heaven, and they pass away in a short time. So, be intelligent. Think about eternity, and be on your guard!

Have you ever noticed that most people aren’t running around crying out “What must I do to be saved?” Most people seem to be blissfully unaware of the fact that they are hurtling toward eternal hell. They are suppressing the truth and they are being deceived by Satan who keeps them focused on each day’s troubles and pleasures.

In commenting on our passage, Matthew Henry noted that people who were physically ill sought Jesus out so that he would heal them. But it was Jesus who sought out sinners to save them! And what a sadly ironic truth that is. God himself tells us the same thing. In Romans 10:20 the apostle Paul quotes from Isaiah 65:1. Paul wrote that “Isaiah boldly says, ‘I was found by those who did not seek me; I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me.’” Our greatest need, in fact our only eternal need, is be reconciled to God, and yet most people don’t see that. Satan blinds them. The joys and cares of this life consume all their energy and attention. But our greatest need; in fact, as I said, our only eternal need, is to be reconciled to God. We need our sins to be taken away and we need perfect righteousness so that we come into God’s presence for all eternity.

The world mocks the idea of needing a Savior and they look on us with utter disdain. The world will tell you that God doesn’t exist and that when you die you simply cease to exist. So grow up and face the facts. Salvation, if we can use the term at all, is to be found here on earth, so they will tell you that you should join with the so-called progressives as they push for that goal.

And even those who claim to believe in God mostly mock the idea of a wrathful God who requires a sacrifice to pay for our sins and perfect righteousness to come into his presence. They have a god with a standard so low that we can meet it through our own effort, or through the sacraments of the church. But that is not the God who created this universe and revealed himself to us in his Word and in the person of Jesus Christ. And such a false god will not help you in the end.

The real, living God tells us in Matthew 5:48 to “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” The real, living God tells us in Romans 3:20 that “no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin.”

But you may object that God presents us with an impossible task. None of us is perfect and we can never do anything that would pay the infinite penalty we owe for sinning against this infinite God. But, praise God, “What is impossible with men is possible with God” as we read in Luke 18:27. Which is why Paul goes on in Romans 3:21-22 to say, “But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.” You see, we are sinners, but Jesus Christ is perfectly righteous. We cannot pay the debt we owe, but Jesus Christ, as infinite God, can and did pay it. If you will repent of your sins and believe in Jesus Christ, then his death on the cross will pay for your sins and you will be clothed with his perfect righteousness.

Oh friends, do you see your need for a Savior? If you had cancer, you would want someone to tell you so that it could be treated. But I am here to tell you that you have something infinitely worse than cancer. Cancer can only kill the body, but as Jesus told us in Matthew 10:28, “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” If you have never trusted in Jesus Christ, you are right now an enemy of the eternal God and subject to his eternal wrath. He is graciously giving you life and health and he has brought you here this morning to hear the gospel of salvation, but you must respond in faith. God is calling. Don’t be like these Pharisees who didn’t think they needed a Savior. Don’t let Satan deceive you. Cry out for mercy.

And that brings me to my fifth point, God’s response.

V.  God’s Response

Notice carefully what we read next in Verse 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.’” And let me read from the parallel account in the gospel of Matthew, because it provides a little more detail. In Matthew 9:12-13 we are told that “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 sinners.’”

Jesus’ response to these Pharisees, which is God’s response, was to point out that he didn’t come to save anyone who self-righteously thinks that he doesn’t need a Savior. He uses the example of a physical illness and points out that only sick people need doctors. But don’t take that metaphor too far. As I said before, if you are outside of Christ, you are not just sick, you are dead in your transgression and sins as we read in Ephesians 2:1.

And Matthew records the additional statement, which is very important. Jesus told them to “go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’” He is quoting from Hosea 6:6. The prophet Hosea spoke to the northern kingdom of Israel prior to its being defeated by the Assyrians in 722 BC. He warned the people about their complacency, apostasy and false religion. In Hosea 6:6 we read that God says, “For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings.”

The Hebrew word translated as mercy in this verse is hesed and could be translated as “steadfast love” as it is in the ESV. The word implies a faithful, covenant love. The message is clear, and was not only appropriate for the Jews in Hosea’s day and the Pharisees at the time of Christ, but is equally applicable to us today. God does not accept ritualistic, formulaic or man-centered worship. He only accepts worship that comes from a humble and contrite heart that truly loves him as the covenant Lord.

And I must add that when I speak about loving God I most emphatically do not mean what that term often conveys in the modern church world. I do not mean that we have some kind of warm and fuzzy feeling about a god of our imagination. A god who is always kind and nonjudgmental. A god who would never hate anyone or pour out wrath on anyone. A god who is always nice. A god who is concerned that we have a wonderful life here and now.

No, when I speak about loving God, I mean that we have a true, biblical, covenant love for the God who has revealed himself in the Bible and in Jesus Christ. The God who is a consuming fire. The God who is wrathful toward sin. The God who created eternal hell in addition to eternal heaven. The triune God; Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The God who gave us the Ten Commandments. And, as Jesus told us in John 14:15, “If you love me, you will obey what I command.”

This is the God I proclaim to you, because in Matthew 28:19-20 Christ commanded us to “go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” And then he gave us a wonderful promise, he said, “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Friends, religion may provide you with comfort. You can gather together with like-minded people, you can sing, hear stories and participate in good social projects and so on. But it cannot save you. Only true godly repentance and true trusting, obedient faith in Jesus Christ can save you. You must be born again. You must cry out to God to have mercy on you and enable you to repent and believe. And if you have been born again and placed your trust in Jesus Christ, then you must work out your salvation with fear and trembling. You must examine your life to see whether or not you possess the obedience of faith.

In 1 John 4:20 we are told that “If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen.” And you don’t get to choose who you have as a brother or sister. Just as in a natural family, God decides who your brothers and sisters are. So, if you love God, that love should be manifested here, in the local church, with the brothers and sisters God has given to you. We must serve one another. We must each seek to know, develop and use our gifts and resources for the benefit of those around us. We must put selfishness to death. We are all part of the body of Christ. It is only in our relations with others that we can practice and demonstrate true Christian love.

And so, in conclusion, God is calling; follow Christ. Repent of your sins, trust in his redeeming sacrifice, acknowledge and embrace him as Lord and then go forth and live for his glory, telling others about this marvelous Savior.