Mark 2:14-17
14 As He passed by, He saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting in the tax booth, and He said to him, “Follow Me!” And he got up and followed Him. 15 And it happened that He was reclining at the table in his house, and many tax collectors and sinners were dining with Jesus and His disciples; for there were many of them, and they were following Him. 16 When the scribes of the Pharisees saw that He was eating with the sinners and tax collectors, they said to His disciples, “Why is He eating and drinking with tax collectors and sinners?” 17 And hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick; I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” Big Idea: This passage culminates in Jesus telling us why He came, “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick; I did not come to call the righteous, but the sinner.” (Mark 2:17) So what does this mean in the context of the passage? First, let’s breakdown the different characters we see in this story: we see three distinct groups. We have the righteous (Jesus), the self-righteous (Scribes and Pharisees) and the un-righteous (Sinners and tax collectors.) However, if we contrast this with what Jesus said, we should only have two different groups: the healthy (righteous) and the sick (sinner.) So where is the disconnect? Why do we see the story differ from Jesus’ teaching? The answer is worldview, and how they are different among the groups. The scribes and Pharisee’s were righteous…to the letter of the law and to the “traditions of the elders” (Man-made religious ordinances observed as The Law). They were only righteous by their own standards, standards that they had put in place. A self-fulfilling prophesy if you will. A ruse… a con… as 1 John 1:8 says “if we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.” Or take Paul’s words in Romans 3:10 “as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one.”” This paints a bleak picture. Enter Jesus onto the scene, "The people who walk in darkness Will see a great light; Those who live in a dark land, The light will shine on them," (Isaiah 9:2); "if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous, and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world." (1 John 2:1-2); “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:16). Let us not deceive ourselves….we ALL are in need of a savior whether we believe so or not. 1. How does the Mark passage teach us about a biblical worldview? Can you find contrasting worldview's in the passage? 2. Do your behaviors and values align with your beliefs? What are ways that your life might not align with a Christian worldview? Pray for each other and hold each other accountable for these areas. (What does your social media look like? Are you chasing the "American Dream?") 3. Discuss the establishments (culture, Progressive christianity, "mainstream" churches) that the church is battling against today? What are the issues that we need to stand firm against? (Hint: whatever is antithetical to the Bible) 4. Do you feel infected by the lifestyle influencer culture? What compromises do we make (or the church) trying to influence the culture without the power of Jesus and His message to the world?
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