Matthew 9:9-13
The Calling of Matthew
9As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector's booth. "Follow me," he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him.
10While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew's house, many tax collectors and "sinners" came and ate with him and his disciples. 11When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and 'sinners'?"
12On hearing this, Jesus said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 13But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."
1 John 2:1-2
Jesus is the Atoning Sacrifice for Our Sins
1 My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. 2 He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.
John 6:28-29
Jesus the Bread of Life
25When they found him on the other side of the lake, they asked him, "Rabbi, when did you get here?"
26Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, you are looking for me, not because you saw miraculous signs but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. 27Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. On him God the Father has placed his seal of approval."
28Then they asked him, "What must we do to do the works God requires?"
29Jesus answered, "The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent."
Luke 18:18-19
Good Teacher
18A certain ruler asked him, "Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?"
19"Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good—except God alone.
Matthew 18:16-17
The Rich Young Man
16Now a man came up to Jesus and asked, "Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?"
17"Why do you ask me about what is good?" Jesus replied. "There is only One who is good.
Luke 18:9-13
The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector
9To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable: 10"Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. 12I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.'
13"But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.'
14"I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."
Luke 15:1-32
The Parable of the Lost Sheep
1 Now the tax collectors and "sinners" were all gathering around to hear him. 2 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them."
3 Then Jesus told them this parable: 4 "Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? 5 And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 6 and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.' 7 I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.
The Parable of the Lost Coin
8 "Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Does she not light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? 9 And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.' 10 In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents."
The Parable of the Lost Son
11 Jesus continued: "There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger one said to his father, 'Father, give me my share of the estate.' So he divided his property between them.
13 "Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. 14 After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. 16 He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.
17 "When he came to his senses, he said, 'How many of my father's hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.' 20 So he got up and went to his father.
"But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
21 "The son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.'
22 "But the father said to his servants, 'Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate. 24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' So they began to celebrate.
25 "Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. 27 'Your brother has come,' he replied, 'and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.'
28 "The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. 29 But he answered his father, 'Look! All these years I've been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!'
31" 'My son,' the father said, 'you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 32 But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' "
Romans 5:8
8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
John 17:3
Eternal Life is Knowing God and Knowing God Sent Jesus
3 Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.
John 11:25-26
Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life
25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; 26 and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
It is good to admit that one is a sinner, because Jesus comes out and tells us that is who He came to earth to call and find...
People try to be good and do good...But sin gets in their way...But sinners have much hope...The ones who think they are righteous do not have much hope...The most remarkable Man to ever walk the earth did not come to earth for those who think they are good, and those that think they are righteous...He came for sinners...This is who He walked with, who He ate with, and who He taught...This is who He came for...He came to earth for sinners...
We learn at least three things in these verses...God wants us to be good...However, we can be the most courteous person to walk the earth and be righteous, but this does not automatically earn us a blessing from God...That is because no one is good, but God alone...We learn that His Son came for sinners...He did not come for the most courteous person who was walking the earth...He was not looking for the courteous, at all...He was looking for sinners...Jesus came to call sinners to Him...He wanted and wants sinners to know Him...
Secondly, the LORD is our God of mercy, and a merciful Father...We must all go and learn about what He means when He says, I desire mercy, not sacrifice...He seeks the lost...
Thirdly, our Father is always seeking His lost children...We are lost...His children are lost in sin, before He sent His Son...He goes after the lost sheep, the lost coin, the lost sinner until He finds that lost sinner...He sent His Son to come for the sick and the lost...We have to know that we are sick and lost, to reach Him and to be called...If we do not know we are sick, He is not going to be with us...He is still looking for us, like He did the sheep and the coin and the prodigal son...The sheep and the coin did not know they were lost, but He was still looking for His lost...Most people, who find Jesus and know Him, know they have sinned and that they are lost...But not everyone...The Pharisees did not know they were sick and lost in their sin...So sometimes you have to step back and look at yourself...We have to realize God wants us to be perfect, holy, just, and good...But man is flawed, so there is a paradox here...This is the fundamental problem with mankind...We want to be perfect, we can't be perfect...We want to be holy, we can't be holy...We want to be just, we can't be just...We want to be good, we can't be good...But He is the ONLY ONE who is perfect, holy, just, and good...When we realize this, we know we are sinners...But this is not a bad thing...We are sinners, and this is why He came and who He is calling on...He wants to find His lost children...His very nature is to seek the lost...We sinners are who He came for...We must praise and thank thank the LORD for this...Hallelujah!!!...
Jesus tells a ruler and us that no one is good but God alone...A rich young man ask what good thing must we do to have and get eternal life...Jesus answers the rich young man about the good thing or good works, and says why do you ask Me about good, there is only One good thing, and that is God...
We are curious about what good thing we must do, what good deeds we must do, what good works we must do, to get into heaven...There is only One Good Thing, and that is God...Jesus is ask (again) what works must we do to be saved, what does God require (John 6:28)...The ones questioning asks what works, which is plural, and they are thinking what is the list of things we need to get into heaven...Jesus makes it very simple for us and says it (the only thing we need to do) is only One thing...Jesus tells us that the work, the deed of God, the thing He wants is this: to believe in the One He has sent...If we can believe that He is from God, then we can have eternal life...That is what God requires of sinners, to believe in Jesus...We are not good, only God is good...But when we believe in His Son, He forgives us of sinning and not being good, and now we can have eternal life with Him...
When we look for hope, we can find it...The sinner has this hope...We must remember what St. Peter said about Jesus, salvation is found in no One else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved (Acts 4:12)...
We must learn from Jesus, when He taught about the Pharisee and the tax collector...I must ask God to have mercy on me, a sinner...Jesus teaches that if we humble ourselves, and confess to God, we are sinners, then we are more justified before God, than the man who does not humble himself...He also tells the Pharisees, we must learn that He desires us to be merciful and humble like Him...For He desires mercy and not sacrifice...For He has came to earth to call the sinner, not the righteous...
Another example of Jesus' compassionate nature and the love He has for us, is in when the Pharisees bring in a woman caught in adultery...They bring the woman to the temple courts and to Him...They tell Him she has committed adultery and the Law of Moses commands them to stone her to death...Jesus tells them that if any of them has not sinned, let that person throw the first stone...All of the Pharisees realize that they have sinned...All of us have sinned and are sinners...The Pharisees do not condemn the woman...And in the end Jesus says "Neither do I condemn you, but go now and leave your life of sin." (John 8:1-11)...Jesus forgives sinners, even caught in the act with two or more witnesses...
God has a plan for us...A Father sent His Son to help us...Jesus was born on earth to a virgin...He healed many and did many miracles on earth, to prove He is divine...Jesus preached on earth for three years...Jesus promised and brought the Holy Spirit to us (John 14:15-30)...The Son came for sinners and not the righteous (Matthew 9:13)...Our sins keep us separate from God (Isaiah 59:2)...But the Redeemer is our Savior, who died for these sins we commit...He is our path to God, He is our connection to God...Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life...No one gets to the Father, except through Me (John 14:6)...The Son died on the cross, but our Father resurrected Him from His earthly death...He brings hope on earth...He brings us an eternal life, after we die from the wages of our sins, here on earth...
And while we were and are still sinners He died for us on the cross...
God is LOVE...And God LOVES sinners...God LOVES those who know they are sinners...St. Paul tells us that God shows His LOVE for us, because while we were still sinners, God sent His Son to die for us (Romans 5:8)...If we are sinners and believe in Him, He comes to save us...God gave His One and Only Son to us sinners, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish and die, but will have eternal life...God did not send His Son Jesus to earth to condemn it, but to save the world through His Son...Whoever, who believes in Him, is not condemned of His sins (John 3:17-18)...Jesus is our hope...I am a sinner...He came for me...Jesus is my hope...
What man before Jesus regularly talked about sins and then when about forgiving people of their sins?...No other man has ever been so passionate for the sinner, and talked about forgiving the sins (and did forgive the sins) of the sinner than Jesus did and does...And Jesus died for our sins...Jesus in dying on the cross has done what no man could do or could have done...By dying on the cross for each of our sins, we do not have to fear judgment...Because He has washed away our sins with His blood, once and for all and forever...Because Jesus has taken away our past, present, and future sins, we need not fear death...He died for us and our sins...We are freed from the chains of our sins with His death on the cross and by believing in Him...What makes us reconciled to God is His Son dying on the cross and us believing in Him...This makes Jesus the Way to God and to heaven...
Knowing and believing in Jesus and God is Eternal Life...Jesus made the statement that, “I AM the resurrection and the life...The one who believes in Me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in Me will never die...Do you believe this?”...