I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
5:32 I have not come to call the righteous,—Jesus deals with these scribes and Pharisees according to their opinion of themselves. Of course, Jesus is not classifying the scribes and Pharisees as “righteous.” There were no men on earth more spiritually sick than these leaders of the Jews. In another text (Luke 16:15) Jesus tells them, “You are they who justify yourselves before men; but God knows your hearts; because what men consider sublime, before God is an abomination”. How could they be righteous in God’s eyes when they had no mercy for sinners? However, this time (Luke 5:30-32), Jesus used the same premise that they accepted to expose the falsehood and hypocrisy of their complaints against Him. At the same time Jesus’ words are an indictment against the scribes and Pharisees; that is, it was their turn to associate with the lost to try to heal them rather than avoid them. — but sinners to repentance. — Of course, “repentance” encompasses complete conversion. All must first believe in Christ as the Son of God, then repent (have a change of heart, being resolved to turn from sin and error to be a faithful child of God), then confess their faith in Christ (Ac 8:37) and be baptized in water for the forgiveness of sins (Ac 2:38). Having done this they are added to the church of Christ, which He established on the day of Pentecost (Ac 2:41; Ac 2:47). There are many religious who work among those who suffer because of their sins, without calling them to repentance. For them the gospel is a ministry to the physical suffering of drunks, drug addicts and prostitutes. They distribute food, provide dormitories and give them medical attention, but they must preach the gospel of repentance to save their souls. Of course, such sinners suffer physically and mentally and need to be helped, but the gospel addresses their spiritual need. Most of such people do not want real help, but only alms. Christ associated with the most despised sinners, but he did it to save his soul. There is no grace without repentance. What did the king say to the man who came to the party not dressed for a wedding? (Matt 22:11) In this parable Jesus teaches us the need to leave sin and put on the clothes of righteousness. All sinners, of all kinds, can come to Christ. The homosexual can come to Christ, but he has to repent of his sin and stop practicing it. All fornicators can come to Christ, but they have to repent and stop practicing fornication. All sinners — liars, thieves, murderers, and everyone else — have to do the same. So also those who commit adultery by divorcing their wives not because of fornication and remarrying can come to Christ, but they have to stop committing adultery (leave the union that is adultery).
Source: Commentary on the New Testament by Partain
Luke 4:18, Luke 4:19; Luke 15:7, Luke 15:10; Luke 18:10-14; Luke 19:10; Luke 24:47; Isaiah 55:6, Isaiah 55:7; Isaiah 57:15; Matt 18:11; Mar 15:7, Tue 15:10; Ac 2:38; Ac 3:19, Ac 3:26; Ac 5:31; Ac 17:30; Ac 20:21; Acts 26:18-20; 1Co 6:9-11; 1Ti 1:15, 1Ti 1:16; 2Ti 2:25, 2Ti 2:26; 2Pe 3:9.
Source: The Treasury of Biblical Knowledge
Jesus’ mission was to call sinners to repentance. At the time of his ascension, Jesus commissioned the same task to the disciples (Luke 24:47; see also Luke 3:3, Luke 3:8; Luke 13:1-5; Luke 15:7-10; Luke 16:30; Luke 17:3, Luke 17:4; Ac 26:20). In this passage, repentance is represented as a sick person who recognizes the presence of his illness and who recognizes that only Jesus, the Great Physician, can heal him. The essence of repentance is in a humble approach to God to receive spiritual healing from him.
Source: New Illustrated Caribbean Bible Commentary
5:32 I have not come to call the righteous, — Jesus deals with these scribes and Pharisees according to their opinion of themselves. Of course, Jesus is not classifying the scribes and Pharisees as “righteous.” There were no men on earth more spiritually sick than these leaders of the Jews. In another text (Luke 16:15) Jesus tells them, “You are they who justify yourselves before men; but God knows your hearts; because what men consider sublime, before God is an abomination”. How could they be righteous in God’s eyes when they had no mercy for sinners?
However, on this occasion (Luke 5:30-32), Jesus used the same premise that they accepted to expose the falsehood and hypocrisy of their complaints against Him. At the same time, Jesus’ words are an indictment against the scribes and Pharisees. ; that is, it was their turn to associate with the lost to try to heal them rather than avoid them.
— but sinners to repentance. – Of course, “repentance” encompasses complete conversion. All must first believe in Christ as the Son of God, then repent (have a change of heart, being resolved to turn from sin and error to be a faithful child of God), then they must confess their faith in Christ (Acts 8:37). and be baptized in water for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38). Having done this they are added to the church of Christ, which He established on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:41; Acts 2:47).
There are many religious who work among those who suffer because of their sins, without calling them to repentance. For them the gospel is a ministry to the physical suffering of drunks, drug addicts and prostitutes. They distribute food, provide dormitories and give them medical attention, but they must preach the gospel of repentance to save their souls.
Of course, such sinners suffer physically and mentally and need to be helped, but the gospel addresses their spiritual need. Most of such people do not want real help, but only alms. Christ associated with the most despised sinners, but he did it to save his soul. There is no grace without repentance. What did the king say to the man who came to the party not dressed for a wedding? (Mat 22:11) In this parable Jesus teaches us the need to leave sin and put on the clothes of righteousness. All sinners, of all kinds, can come to Christ. The homosexual can come to Christ, but he has to repent of his sin and stop practicing it. All fornicators can come to Christ, but they have to repent and stop practicing fornication. All sinners – liars, thieves, murderers and all the rest – have to do the same. So also those who commit adultery by divorcing their wives not because of fornication and remarrying can come to Christ, but they have to stop committing adultery (leave the union that is adultery).
Source: Reeves-Partain Notes
Luke 13:1-5; Luke 15:1-32; Luke 24:47; Matt 3:2.
Source: Hispano-American Interdenominational Translation
CROSS-REFERENCES
k 338 Matt 9:13; 1Ti 1:15