(30)  But their scribes and Pharisees murmured against his disciples, saying, Why do ye eat and drink with publicans and sinners?  (31)  And Jesus answering said unto them, They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick.  (32)  I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

Luke 5:27-32

Explanation:

By observing 4 responses found in this passage we can know what it means to follow Jesus in discipleship.

Response #4- Fish (continued)

The scribes and the pharisees were people who were very pious.  They studied the scriptures intensely.  They knew the scriptures.  They memorized whole books of the Bible.  They were zealous for Judaism and for the Old Testament at a level.  But they also missed the whole point.

The scribes and pharisees loved Bible study.  They loved the temple.  They loved gathering with people in the synagogues.  They loved expositional preaching.  They even loved people who looked godly like they did.

The scribes and pharisees believed that they had it all together.  They thought that they were good with God because of their own righteousness.

These people asked Jesus, “Why are you hanging out with tax collectors and sinners?”

Jesus, why are you calling someone that is a publican into discipleship.  What kind of rabbi are you?  Our disciples are the best of the best.  It seems like your disciples are the worst of the worst.  And look at the outcome- now you are even hanging out with the worst of the worst.

Notice Jesus response:

 (31)  And Jesus answering said unto them, They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick.  (32)  I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

Luke 5:31-32

Let me ask you a question:  Were the publicans sinners, but not the pharisees?

Of course not. 

The Bible says, “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”

Jesus was not saying that the pharisees didn’t need forgiveness.  Jesus was saying that the ones that He could save were the ones that recognized their need for a Savior.

And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:  (10)  Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.  (11)  The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.  (12)  I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.  (13)  And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.  (14)  I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

Luke 18:9-14

Jesus reserved his harshest criticism for people who refused to understand their own sinfulness.

To Jesus, these men were asking, “Why are you eating with the mission field?”  The answer, “The mission field is who needs to be reached.”

Application:

When we spend our time trying to be righteous without growing to be fishers of men, we are being more like the pharisees than the disciples of Jesus Christ.  This does not mean that we are for sin.  We hate the sin that causes people to be separated from God.  We hate our own sin and pursue Jesus.

But in the meantime we do not hate the sinner.  We do not hate our own mission field.

The point of discipleship is to glorify God by observing everything Jesus taught so that we can be sent on His mission.

Response:

Who do you need to fish for today?

(10) And Jesus said unto Simon, Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men.

Luke 5:10

And after these things he went forth, and saw a publican, named Levi, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he said unto him, Follow me.  (28)  And he left all, rose up, and followed him.  (29)  And Levi made him a great feast in his own house: and there was a great company of publicans and of others that sat down with them.  

Luke 5:27-29

Explanation:

By observing 4 responses found in this passage we can know what it means to follow Jesus in discipleship.

Response #4- Fish

The call to follow Jesus did mean that there was a call to forsake, but it was also a call to something else.  Here Jesus alludes to what He was calling them to do.  He wasn’t just calling them to be better people for the sake of just being better people.  He wasn’t calling them to just deny themselves to make them more pious, religious, or better citizens.  No, he was calling them to His mission.  Why did Jesus come?

For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.  

Luke 19:10

Jesus told Peter that the result of His identifying Jesus as God, submitting to His authority and forsaking all to follow Him would be that He would partake in his mission. 

(10) And Jesus said unto Simon, Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men.

Luke 5:10

To follow Jesus means we will fish for men.  We also see this as the result of the calling of Levi in our passage.

and he said unto him, Follow me.  (28)  And he left all, rose up, and followed him.  (29)  And Levi made him a great feast in his own house: and there was a great company of publicans and of others that sat down with them.  

Luke 5:27b-29

Once Levi followed Jesus, everything He had was being used to point people to Jesus.  Notice in verse 29 he used his house, his possessions, and his connections to get people to Jesus.

This is even the nature of Jesus’ process with the disciples.  At the beginning he tells them to “follow me”.  Be with me.  Walk where I walk.  Do what I do.  Learn what I know.  The scripture says:

And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him,

Mark 3:14a

But notice, at least in part why they should be with him..

…and that he might send them forth to preach, And to have power to heal sicknesses, and to cast out devils: 

Mark 3:14b

They were with Him so that He could send them out to do His mission.

And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.  (19)  Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:  (20)  Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Matthew 28:18-20 

Don’t miss the last part of verse 20. 

“And, lo..”.  Lo, means “behold”, “look at this”, or “take note”.  Take note of what?  “I am with you alway”.

They were with Him so that they could become fishers of men, so that then they could be sent out to make disciples of all nations.  And when they were sent, He went with them.

“Them with him” lead to “him with them”.  His mission became their mission.

The end of discipleship is always sending and service.

Application:

It is not enough to just grow in your walk with the Lord to be a little nicer, kinder, better with your money, or have a better marriage.  Clearly all of these things are possible, desirable, and even necessary.  But if Jesus wanted to make us perfect alone, He would take us to heaven right when we got saved.  In the rest of this passage we will see Jesus’ mission.  He has called us to be on mission where the people who need Him are.  In the here and now, with those who need him most.

Response:

• Who do you need to tell about Jesus today?