“For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

— Matthew 9:13b (NIV)

You have probably heard this quote from Abigail Van Buren, “The church is a hospital for sinners, not a museum for saints.”

It’s a good reminder that we are all sinners needing confession, communion, and congregation. We need to be with fellow Christians who will lift us in prayer, and encourage us when we fall short.

In this verse from the ninth chapter of Matthew, Jesus has just finished healing a paralyzed man and continued into town, where he met Matthew at his tax booth. He tells Matthew to follow him, and then goes with him to his house to have dinner. Matthew tells us that many tax collectors and sinners joined them at this meal which seemed to upset the religious leaders who were asking Jesus’ disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”

Jesus is not hard of hearing, so you have to wonder why they don’t just ask him themselves. Before the disciples could respond, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice’ (Hosea 6:6). For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

When we think about it, no one is righteous. Like the religious leaders in this story, those who think they are righteous are not going to the temple to better themselves, get right before God, or bring others closer to the Creator.

I think about Mac Davis singing, “Oh Lord, it’s hard to be humble, when you’re perfect in every way.”

Jesus did not come to fix people who could not see their own brokenness. People who believe they are righteous see no reason to be fixed.

When Christ offers to sit and eat with sinners, he is meeting them where they are in their lives with the power and encouragement to lift them up. The same is true of churches today. COVID created a dynamic where people were forced to stay home rather than attend worship. This situation allowed them to forget that the church is not a building, but a community of people who stand together, pray for each other, sing, and lift each other. So many of us have forgotten how attending regular services enriched our lives and spirits. It gave us insight and energy for the week ahead.

I’m not sure that I buy into the notion of the “new normal” when joining together for worship. That is not a condemnation of online worship. Online worship fills a need for those unable to attend services in person. But a spiritual lift occurs when we gather to worship our Creator in person with our congregations.

By leaning on each other, we lean into Jesus. By leaning into Jesus, we tap into God’s love, mercy, and grace. Take time this Lord’s Day and attend the church of your choice. You’ll be glad you did.

“By leaning on each other, we lean into Jesus. By leaning into Jesus, we tap into God’s love, mercy, and grace.”