Mark 2:17 - Printer Friendly

ESV: 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."

NIV: On hearing this, Jesus said to them, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."

NASB: 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.'

CSB: When Jesus heard this, he told them, "It is not those who are well who need a doctor, but those who are sick. I didn’t come to call the righteous, but sinners."

NLT: When Jesus heard this, he told them, 'Healthy people don’t need a doctor — sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.'

KJV: When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

NKJV: When Jesus heard it, He said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”

We are not told whether Jesus directly answers the religious leaders or His followers, but it appears this answer is given to the disciples. Nor do we know when Jesus gives the answer, whether during the meal or after. The context is not clear. The focus is instead on the actual response Jesus provides.

The answer Jesus gives is an old proverb. A Jewish commentary to Exodus 15:26 reads, "If they are not sick, why do they need a physician?" By associating sickness to sinners and health to righteousness, Jesus continues the theme started when He forgave the paralytic of his sins first, and then healed him (Mark 2:1–11). God uses disease as both a punishment (Exodus 15:26) and a metaphor for sin. As a metaphor, sin destroys our healthy relationship with God as disease destroys our bodies. As a punishment, disease is a direct and indirect result of Adam and Eve's sin and our continued sin throughout history.

Jesus addresses physical disease for a short time while He is on earth, but He heals our sin-induced injuries now. Both physical sickness and sin-sickness draw us to Him. Jesus did not come to "call" righteous people, but rather sinful people, just as healthy people do not typically seek out a doctor. His words offer a double meaning in a sense. On one level, He explains His mission as a friend of sinners who comes to save lost people. However, Jesus also subtly rebukes the religious leaders who see themselves as righteous and without need of Jesus and the salvation He provides.

Mark 2:13–17 presents the second of five stories, found in the gospel of Mark, wherein Jesus asserts His authority. Here, He takes on the belief that sinners are not worth saving. The fifth man Jesus calls to be a disciple is Levi the tax collector. At the time, Jews assumed most such men were swindlers, using their traitorous service for the Roman occupiers to also steal from fellow Israelites. To make the situation even more controversial, Jesus goes home with Levi and has a meal with him and other ''sinners.'' The scribes, who work so hard making sure the good people follow more laws than God gave them, have no interest in turning sinful hearts to God. In fact, they seriously doubt it can be done. This account is also found in Matthew 9:9–13 and Luke 5:27–32.

Mark chapter 2 follows the typical style of Mark's gospel with a rapid succession of stories. Jesus heals a man who cannot walk, but only after declaring the man's sins to have been forgiven. Jesus then calls Levi, one of the publically-reviled tax collectors, as a disciple and is seen eating with those the Pharisees view as ''sinners.'' Jesus then answers a challenge about fasting and defends His disciples when they violate the Pharisees' views on keeping the Sabbath. All of these events are met with some resistance from Jesus' critics. He responds in each case with a spiritual, reasonable defense.

In Mark chapter 1, Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist then led into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit where He was tempted by Satan. He also taught and healed in Capernaum and throughout Galilee. In chapter 2, having returned to Capernaum, Jesus displays authority over four particular areas: the forgiveness of sins, social traditions, extra-biblical religious traditions, and the Sabbath. In response, the Pharisees—legalistic religious leaders—escalate their antagonism toward Him, culminating in a direct condemnation of His teachings. This sets the scene for Mark 3:6 when the religious and national leadership first get the idea to destroy Jesus.

The Gospel of Mark emphasizes both Jesus' servanthood and His role as the promised Messiah: the Son of God. This is done through a concise, action-packed style. Mark provides relatively few details, instead focusing on actions and simple statements. This relates to the Gospel's authorship, which is believed to be based on the memories of the apostle Peter. These include many of Jesus' miracles, in contrast to other Gospels which include many more of Jesus' teachings and parables. Mark also makes frequent mention of Jesus' ministry being misunderstood by others.