As we all know, Jesus said that the righteous do not need the physician, but sinners do. The occasion for His comment was a festive meal to which Jesus had been invited.

"When the scribes and Pharisees saw Him eating with the tax collectors and sinners, they said to His disciples, How is it that He eats and drinks with tax collectors and sinners? When Jesus heard it, He said to them, Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance" (Mark 2:16-17).

An interesting aspect about this meal was the host and the occasion for the meal:

"After these things He went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, Follow Me. So he left all, rose up, and followed Him. Then Levi gave Him a great feast in his own house. And there were a great number of tax collectors and others who sat down with them" (Luke 5:27-29).

Levi, whom we also know by his other name Matthew (Matthew 9:9), was the host for this festive meal. He was honoring Jesus and celebrating his calling by Jesus.

In Jewish society of that day tax collectors were outsiders, hated by the people and excluded from participating in "official" religious life. Under those circumstances it was understandable that the friends of tax collectors were other tax collectors and others who were outsiders.

Matthew was very thankful for the grace he had experienced through Jesus. He wanted to introduce his friends to his master and he invited them to the meal. Those friends were his – now former – colleagues. They heard how Jesus rejected the criticism of the Pharisees over His participation in the meal, and they listened closely when He said: "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance."

The model example for Jesus' statement was their host at the meal, the former tax collector Matthew.

With these thoughts I wish everyone a rewarding Sabbath!