For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners
Matthew 9:13 - He invites us all to be humble and repentant and to experience God’s love and mercy.
“But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
Matthew 9:13 NIV
Some of the most valuable lessons taught by Jesus came when He was responding to criticism from the leaders of the religious elite of His time, the Pharisees and Sadducees. Here in Matthew 9, Jesus has performed the miracle of healing a paralyzed man and calls the author of this Gospel — Matthew, a tax collector for the Romans — into ministry with Him.
Matthew invites Jesus, the other disciples, and some other locals (mainly other tax collectors and people described simply as sinners) to his home for dinner. This upsets the Pharisees, who ask the disciples flat out “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” (Matthew 9:11). Jesus overhears this question, and answers with “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.” (Matthew 9:12) After this wisdom, He advises the Pharisees to consider Hosea 6:6 — “I desire mercy, not sacrifice”.
What is it that Jesus is trying to teach the religious elite with today’s verse? Let’s dissect it a few words at a time. He begins with a direct command to the Pharisees to gain a deeper understanding of the words of God as captured by the prophet Hosea, telling them to go and learn. In Greek, the word for learn is μανθάνω (manthano), which means to acquire knowledge through experience or study.
Jesus knows that these religious leaders have only a superficial understanding of the law, and He wants them to really embrace the core of God’s message. Their spiritual growth doesn’t require repetitive cycles of sacrifices and Torah reading (see image above); instead, it requires a humble outlook and active engagement with God through prayer, repentance, and mercy to His people. By telling the leaders to go and learn what this means, Jesus is appealing to the Pharisees to truly change their understanding of God’s priorities.
What is God saying through His prophet Hosea? It’s quite simple: He would rather see mercy instead of ritual offerings. Both the Hebrew (חֶסֶד or chesed) and Greek (ἔλεος or eleos) words for mercy emphasize compassion, kindness, and loyalty. God wants His people to be compassionate and faithful, not just “checking the boxes” by observing religious rituals.
Jesus finishes this verse with words that make me love Him even more every time I hear them — “For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” The Pharisees believe that they are morally perfect, quite self-righteous in their thinking. Jesus is being somewhat ironic in using the term “righteous” to refer to the Pharisees, because they incorrectly believe that they have no need to repent. He’s emphasizing that self-righteousness is futile, and that one must come to the personal recognition that he or she needs a Savior!
The Greek word for sinners (ἁμαρτωλός or hamartolos) has the meaning of “those who have missed the mark of God’s standards”. Jesus is boldly declaring His grace, emphasizing that His ministry is for all who are aware that they are imperfect and sinners, but who are open to being transformed. He invites us all to be humble and repentant, and to experience God’s love and mercy.
Heaven On Wheels Daily Prayer:
Father, I thank You that You love me despite my many human failings. Jesus taught me to humbly acknowledge my sins, work toward repentance, and realize that my salvation comes through faith alone. AMEN.