And the scribes of the Pharisees, when they saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, said to his disciples, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?” And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Mark 2:13-17

And the scribes of the Pharisees, when they saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, said to his disciples, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?” And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.” Mark 2:16-17

I continue my study of Mark, leaning on the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for Mark.  Today, I focus on a commentary-assisted review of Mark 2:16-17, which is the third division (Jesus Calls the Spiritually Unhealthy to Fellowship with Him) of the text 2:13-17 per commentary.  Excerpts from the third division per commentary:

• "The Pharisees were the pious Jews who rigorously followed the law of Moses and opposed Greek and Roman influence. Josephus claims they numbered about six thousand in Jesus’ day. While the Sadducees were mostly upper-class aristocrats and priests, the Pharisees appear to have been primarily middle-class laypeople, perhaps craftsmen and merchants. The Sadducees had greater political power, but the Pharisees had broader support among the people."
• "The most distinctive characteristic of the Pharisees was their strict adherence to the law of Moses, the Torah. They carefully obeyed not only the written law but also the oral law, a body of extrabiblical traditions that expanded and elaborated on the Old Testament law (e.g., “the tradition of the elders” in Mark 7:3). The Pharisees’ goals were to apply the Torah’s mandates to everyday life, and to “build a fence” around the Torah to guard against any possible violation."
• "Jesus condemned the Pharisees for raising their traditions to the level of Scripture and for focusing on the outward requirements of the law while ignoring matters of the heart. For their part the Pharisees denounced Jesus’ association with tax collectors and sinners, and they deplored the way He placed Himself above Sabbath regulations."
• "Jesus was much closer theologically to the Pharisees than to the Sadducees, sharing similar beliefs in the authority of Scripture, the resurrection, and the coming of the Messiah. Conflicts arose because He challenged them on their own turf, and He was a threat to their leadership and influence over the people. Today the term Pharisee is often equated with hypocrisy and legalism but not so in first-century Israel. The Pharisees were held in high esteem for their piety and devotion to the law. Indeed, the Pharisees’ fundamental goal was noble: to maintain a life of purity and obedience to God’s law."
• "Jesus criticized the Pharisees not for their goals of purity and obedience but for saying one thing but doing another, for raising their interpretations (mere “tradition of men”) to the level of God’s commands (cf. 7:8), and for becoming obsessed with externals while neglecting justice, mercy, and faith."
• "Jesus was a friend of sinners. He called the seemingly unlikely, reached out to the socially undesirable, and healed the spiritually unhealthy. He cared for them, He spent time with them, and He loved them."

In the text today, Jesus focuses on heart condition - why it matters what is in our heart.  We must seek for God to transform our hearts and minds from the inside out as it is often our thoughts that drive sin.  We are no better than anyone else and if we feel we are more superior or more righteous than someone else - this is of course arrogant and prideful.  Hate is another example - hate of our brother (even without action) is sinful - see 1 John 3:15. We must be humble and approach our time with others in humility.  One of the core reasons why we read and study the Bible daily is so that we can understand our own sin as scripture reveals sin - see Romans 7:7c.  This article from DesiringGod.com on the sins of omission is a good one for us to understand the gravity of our sin as identified from scripture. The article uses the story of Reuben and Gad from the Old Testament as well as the Great Commission for two great examples of how God seeks for us to be active in demonstrating and sharing our faith with others. 

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My Prayer: Father God You are an awesome God that is full of amazing grace and mercy for me - mercy that never ceases and is new every morning.  Thank You Jesus - I need this mercy as my sin continues...daily.  Please forgive me and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin. Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.