Matthew 9:11 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”

NIV: When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, 'Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?'

NASB: And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to His disciples, 'Why is your Teacher eating with the tax collectors and sinners?'

CSB: When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners? "

NLT: But when the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, 'Why does your teacher eat with such scum? '

KJV: And when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto his disciples, Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners?

NKJV: And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to His disciples, “Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”

Eating together, reclined around a low table in someone's home, was a more close and intimate experience in Jesus' day than it is in modern times. Sharing meals, often summarized as "breaking bread," implied a level of trust and acceptance.

The Jewish religious leaders known as the Pharisees were very careful about who they shared a meal with, for that reason. They hoped to avoid even the appearance of associating with disreputable people. The law itself did not forbid this, but they had established rules for themselves beyond the law to protect their reputations as righteous men. Discretion about a person's companions is not unwise, in and of itself (1 Corinthians 15:33; Psalm 1:1). However, the Pharisees were brutally arrogant, and their rules of conduct came to carry nearly the weight of the law itself.

Jesus simply ignored rules and standards that went beyond the requirements of the law. He is doing so again in this passage: sharing a meal in the home of a tax collector. Also present are His disciples and more tax collectors and "sinners." In this context, "sinners" are those people who broke religious rules and even the law itself (Matthew 9:9–10). These are people considered dirty, flawed, and even unclean by their culture.

The Pharisees didn't get it. Jesus was a popular rabbi who spoke passionately about God and righteousness. In their eyes, they wonder why He's being foolish about those with whom He is seen sharing meal. Why would He sully His reputation by associating with these people? That's what they asked Jesus' disciples. Christ's answer (Matthew 9:12–13) reveals both His mission and the true motives of His critics' hearts.

Matthew 9:9–13 begins with Jesus calling Matthew, a tax collector, to follow Him as His disciple. Soon, Jesus and His disciples are having dinner in Matthew's home with many tax collectors and others labelled as "sinners." In answer to a question from the Pharisees about why Jesus would eat with these people, He responds that the sick need a doctor, not the healthy. He tells the Pharisees to go learn the meaning of the Scripture in which God says that He desires mercy, not sacrifice. Jesus declares that He has come to call sinners, not the righteous.

Matthew 9 continues to show how Jesus authenticated His claims to be the Messiah by powerful miracles of healing and casting out demons. He heals a paralyzed man after telling the man his sins are forgiven. He calls Matthew to follow Him and eats dinner with Matthew and other tax collectors. He answers questions from Pharisees and others. A woman who touches His cloak is healed from a 12–year illness, and Jesus raises a dead girl back to life. He restores sight to blind men and speech to one who is demon oppressed. He is filled with compassion for the crowds.

Matthew 9 follows the same pattern of Matthew 8, showing through miraculous works of healing that Jesus is truly the Messiah. Christ forgives the sins of a paralyzed man and heals him. He calls Matthew to follow Him and eats with tax collectors and sinners. A woman is healed by touching His garment and a dead girl is given life by the touch of His hand. Two blind men see, and Jesus casts out a demon, restoring speech to its victim. Finally, Jesus declares that the harvest is plentiful and tells His followers to pray for workers. Chapter 10 builds on this compassion as Jesus commissions the Twelve to go and deliver His gospel to the people.

The Gospel of Matthew clearly shows the influence of its writer's background, and his effort to reach a specific audience. Matthew was one of Jesus' twelve disciples, a Jewish man, and a former tax collector. This profession would have required literacy, and Matthew may have transcribed some of Jesus' words as they were spoken. This book is filled with references to the Old Testament, demonstrating to Israel that Jesus is the Promised One. Matthew also includes many references to coins, likely due to his former profession. Matthew records extensive accounts of Jesus' teaching, more than the other three Gospels.