Who is Righteous?
Levi (or Matthew as he is called elsewhere) embodied everything a proper Jew hated. He worked with the enemy (the Romans). He cheated his fellow man. He was rich while most Jews of his day were limited in their resources by the very taxes Levi collected. Because of his occupation, he was not allowed in the synagogue. He was anything but a righteous man… yet. Jesus saw more to this man. He saw past who he was in the moment and saw who was called to be. He didn’t look at the sickness of his soul but the beauty of its creation. I love that more than I can express. I love that Jesus didn’t give Levi a list of requirements for following him. He didn’t demand a change before he welcomed him.
So great was the joy Levi felt when he was welcomed by the Messiah, he throws Jesus a grand dinner. Inviting all his friends (tax collectors and other rejected people in their society), this party turned a few heads. The religious leaders were disgusted that Jesus would associate and eat with such people. Verse 39 records their accusing question as, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” Make no mistake, this was not a question out of curiosity. They no doubt added a prominent sound of disdain to their voice. To them, the idea of dining with such despised individuals was repulsive. Jesus responded with the perfect comeback. He said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick; I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” Don’t miss the double layer of meaning in Jesus’ response. On the surface, perhaps the self-righteous Pharisees and scribes only heard that Jesus had not come to save and heal them. Digging deeper, we understand why.
Romans 3:10 says, “None is righteous, no, not one.” The reason Jesus didn’t come for those who considered themselves righteous is because they can’t see their need of him. Everyone needs the Great Physician. Unfortunately, most are so blinded by their belief that they are healthy, they can’t see the cancer eating their soul. In order to be saved, we must first admit we need a Savior. God didn’t require Levi to get in shape before following him because that would be an impossible requirement. None of us are capable of cleansing the sin from our lives. None of us are righteous. All of us are sinners in need of repentance. It is through this repentance that we become righteous. Through the work of Christ, we can claim to be holy. Apart from him, our claims are only delusional proclamations of our meritless beliefs.
“Though your sins are like scarlet,
They shall be as white as snow;
Though they are red like crimson,
They shall become like wool.”
Isaiah 1:18
(Written by Keegan Harkins.)
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