Monday, November 27 I have come to call, not righteous people, but sinners to repentance.​—Luke 5:32.

[Poly Ester]

Monday, November 27

I have come to call, not righteous people, but sinners to repentance.—Luke 5:32.

 

While on earth, Jesus chose to associate with all types of people. He dined with the rich and the powerful, but he also spent much of his time with the poor and the downtrodden. In addition, he was compassionate toward those who were generally regarded as “sinners.” Some self-righteous individuals stumbled at what Jesus did. They asked his disciples: “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” To this, Jesus replied with the words of today’s text. (Luke 5:29-31) Long before the Messiah came, the prophet Isaiah described him as one who would not be accepted by the world. The prophecy foretold: “He was despised and was avoided by men . . . It was as if his face were hidden from us. He was despised, and we held him as of no account.” (Isa. 53:3) The Messiah was to be avoided “by men,” so those first-century Jews should have expected that Jesus would be rejected. w21.05 8-9 ¶3-4