06/18/2026
Message from Vicar Tou Pao Lee
“As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, ‘Follow me.’ And he rose and followed him. And as Jesus reclined at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and his disciples. And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, ‘Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?’ But when he heard it, he said, ‘Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means: “I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.” For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.’” Matthew 9:9–13 (ESV)
JESUS THE PHYSICIAN
In Matthew 9:9-13, Jesus calls Matthew, a tax collector, to follow Him. This was surprising because tax collectors were despised and looked down upon by others. Yet Jesus does not avoid Matthew or turn away from him. Instead, He calls him. Then Jesus sits at the table with tax collectors and sinners, eating and conversing with them. This is God showing grace and mercy to sinners who are spiritually sick and in need of His healing.
That is why Jesus says, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.” Jesus is not saying that some people are truly righteous before God and others are not. Rather, He is exposing those who imagine themselves righteous and in no need of repentance. He came not for those who trust in their own self-righteousness, but for sinners who recognize their need for His mercy. He came for the guilty, the broken, the ashamed, and the needy. He came for Matthew, and thanks be to God, He came for us.
These words of Jesus also expose our hearts. Like the Pharisees, we often focus on the sins of others while overlooking our own. Yet like Matthew and the other sinners at the table, we ourselves stand in need of God's mercy. We are both sinners and judgmental. We fail to see how deeply we ourselves need God's mercy. That is the danger of self-righteousness. It not only looks down on others, but it also refuses to admit its own need for the Savior.
Thanks be to God. He sent His Son to save us. Jesus, the great Physician, came for the sick—tax collectors, sinners, and us. He came to heal us through the forgiveness of sins, to restore us to fellowship with God, and to make us His own. And He does this not by overlooking our sins, but by bearing them. He went to the cross for us, where He took our sin upon Himself and won our forgiveness by His holy and precious blood. Our standing before God does not rest on our worthiness, our efforts, or our works. Our salvation rests on Christ alone, our Physician and Redeemer.
In the name of Jesus. Amen.
