How does Luke 5:32 emphasize Jesus' mission to call sinners to repentance? Setting the Scene: Levi’s Banquet • Jesus has just called the tax collector Levi (Luke 5:27–28) • Levi hosts a great feast; “a large crowd of tax collectors and others” recline with Jesus (v. 29) • Pharisees and scribes grumble that He eats with “tax collectors and sinners” (v. 30) • Into that tension Jesus speaks Luke 5:32 Key Verse “I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” — Luke 5:32 Four Clear Emphases in Jesus’ Statement 1. Divine Initiative: “I have come” • Echoes the incarnation purpose (Luke 19:10; John 3:17) 2. Target Audience: “sinners” • Those condemned by Law and social outcasts alike (Isaiah 53:6; Romans 3:23) 3. Central Demand: “repentance” • Turning from sin to God (Acts 3:19; 1 Thessalonians 1:9) 4. Implicit Exclusion: “not… the righteous” • Not suggesting some are truly sinless, but exposing self-righteous blindness (Romans 3:10; Revelation 3:17) The Physician Motif Reinforced • Parallel passage: “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick” (Mark 2:17) • Jesus positions Himself as the only effective healer of sin’s disease (1 Peter 2:24) Old Testament Echoes of Merciful Calling • Isaiah 1:18 — “Though your sins are like scarlet, they will be as white as snow.” • Ezekiel 18:30–32 — “Repent and live!” • Hosea 6:1 — “Come, let us return to the LORD.” These prophetic invitations find fulfillment in Christ’s personal call. Consistency Across the Gospels and Epistles • Matthew 9:13 links the call to God’s desire for mercy over ritual • Romans 2:4 shows God’s kindness leading to repentance • 2 Peter 3:9 underscores His patience, “not wanting anyone to perish but everyone to come to repentance” Implications for Disciples Today • Recognize the ongoing mission: proclaim repentance and forgiveness in His name (Luke 24:47) • Reject self-righteous attitudes; all need the Savior’s call (1 John 1:8) • Extend table-fellowship and gospel invitation to modern “tax collectors and sinners” (James 2:1) • Trust the power of the Word: Christ still summons sinners, and the Spirit grants repentance leading to life (Acts 11:18) |
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