Hebrews 1:1

Verse Study Devotion – Hebrews 1:1

“God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways,” Hebrews 1:1

First of all, I want to discuss who the author was. Many believe it was the Apostle Paul, however, I want you to notice how Paul begins his writings we know are his.

Romans – Paul, a bondservant of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God,

! Corinthians – Paul, called as an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother,

2 Corinthians – Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, To the church of God which is at Corinth with all the saints who are throughout Achaia:

Galatians – Paul, an apostle (not sent from men nor through the agency of man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised Him from the dead),

Ephesians – Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints who are at Ephesus and who are faithful in Christ Jesus:

Philippians – Paul and Timothy, bondservants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, including the overseers and deacons:

Colossians – Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,

! Thessalonians – Paul and Silvanus and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace.

2 Thessalonians – Paul and Silvanus and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:

1 Timothy – Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus according to the commandment of God our Savior, and of Christ Jesus, who is our hope,

2 Timothy – Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, according to the promise of life in Christ Jesus,

Titus – Paul, a bondservant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the faith of those chosen of God and the knowledge of the truth which is according to godliness,

Philemon – Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, To Philemon our beloved brother and fellow worker,

Note how Paul starts all the books he wrote with his first name. In the Book of Hebrews, the author’s name is never mentioned. This leads me to believe that Paul did not write the Book of Hebrews. I may be wrong, but ultimately this is not all that important. What is important is what God is telling us through whoever He chose to write this book via the moving of the Holy Spirit.

Going now to verses 1 and 2 we see that God is a personal God, not one who created everything and went away, but who desires to interact with us.

“God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world.” Hebrews 1:1-2.

In the Old Testament, God spoke to His people through the prophets. They were people God used to communicate His message to the world. In essence they acted as a mouthpiece for God, receiving and then proclaiming what God has told or shown them. And they shared these things according to God’s commandments to them. However, when ‘The Christ’ came into the world, God spoke to us through Him, His son. Christ comes from the Greek word Christos, meaning ‘anointed or chosen one’. This Greek word is equivalent to the Hebrew word Mashiach, or ‘Messiah.’ And the name ‘Jesus’ is the Lord’s human name given to Mary by the angel Gabriel.

” And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus.” Luke 1:31.

His name was Jesus, but His title was Christ, for Jesus was sent by God to be a King and Deliverer. Christ is His title, the Messiah, also referred to as ‘The Anointed One.’

I love the way Theologian Charles Spurgeon described these two ideas.

“Saving the best for last is always God’s rule. You have kept the good wine until now. Prophets are a very blessed means of communication, but how much more sure, how much more condescending is it for God to speak to us by His Son!”

He uses a verse from the Book of John to help make his point regarding the prophets and the Christ.

“When the headwaiter tasted the water which had become wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the headwaiter called the bridegroom, and said to him, ‘Every man serves the good wine first, and when the people have drunk freely, then he serves the poorer wine; but you have kept the good wine until now.’” John 2:10.

He spoke with those in Old Testament times through prophets, but in New Testament times, during our time through to the end, He speaks to us through His Son, The Christ. He literally saved the best for last.

And this one who is God’s Son made the worlds and everything that is. We see this more clearly stated by John in his gospel record.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. .. And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:1-3, 14.

Moving on to verse three.

“And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,” Hebrews 1:3.

Hebrews 1:2-3 are incredible verses that show us the nature and work of Jesus Christ, putting together His divinity, His role in creation (as seen in Hebrews 1:2), and His work in redeeming mankind from the results of their sin. We then read in 1 John the following regarding salvation.

“If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.” 1 John 1:6-7.

Jesus manages everything by His word, showing He not only created but upholds the universe. He provided a means to purify us from our sins, showing His work of redemption through cleansing us. He then sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in on high, that being God the Father. This shows Jesus’ exaltation and authority, as we see in Ephesians 1:19-21.

“And what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.” Ephesians 1:19-21.

This verse reassures us of Jesus’ divine nature and ongoing role, offering comfort and hope in uncertain times.

Then in the next four verses we see the immense difference between all the angels and the Christ.

“Having become as much better than the angels, as He has inherited a more excellent name than they. For to which of the angels did He ever say, “YOU ARE MY SON, TODAY I HAVE BEGOTTEN YOU”? And again, “I WILL BE A FATHER TO HIM AND HE SHALL BE A SON TO ME”? And when He again brings the firstborn into the world, He says, “AND LET ALL THE ANGELS OF GOD WORSHIP HIM.” And of the angels He says, “WHO MAKES HIS ANGELS WINDS, AND HIS MINISTERS A FLAME OF FIRE.” Hebrews 1:4-7.

Looking at these verses, we see the phrase, ‘much better than the angels”. This refers to being exalted much above the angels. The word “better” here does not refer to moral character, but to exaltation of rank. In the Greek, the word is ‘kreitton’, which has the idea of stronger, more useful and noble. And because of this, He has a more excellent name. Instead of simply being an angel or servant, Jesus was declared the Son of God. No angel was given this position.

God the Father also spoke to God the Son and declared Him as begotten. The word begotten speaks of the equality of substance and essential nature between the Father and Son, because the Son came forth from the Father. It means that the Father and the Son share the same being. This verse also suggests that God sometimes delivers His message, via His angels, using them through the natural world. While angels have a flexible nature, sometimes appearing as flames or wind,

“He makes the winds His messengers, Flaming fire His ministers.” Psalm 104:4.

To go forward to Hebrews 1:8-14, click the following link.

Colossians 2:6

“Therefore, as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him,” – Colossians 2:6.

Up to this time Paul had never visited the Church in Colossae, as well as several other places where Christians were coming together at that time.

“For I want you to know how great a struggle I have on your behalf and for those who are at Laodicea, and for all those who have not personally seen my face, that their hearts may be encouraged, having been knit together in love, and attaining to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a true knowledge of God’s mystery, that is, Christ Himself, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” Colossians 2:1-3.

He wrote here as you can see above that he wished the best for them. He desired,

  • That they would encourage each other in the faith with love,
  • That they would also assist each other to understand the truth regarding Christ,

This was important based on what we read in the next verse,

“So that no one will delude you with persuasive argument.” Colossians 2:4.

Pau had been addressing the problems of the Colossians indirectly, but here he faces them directly. Defection and distortion of the truth were his pastoral concerns, as well as for his co-workers. In fact, much of Paul’s letters engaged in encouraging  believers, which reminds us that the heart of apostolic work was spiritual, that being in prayer, listening, learning, and discussions with others about issues arising when the gospel helps them take root in a new community. Paul was concerned about Christians either falling away or falling into false doctrine. I came across this interesting quote from Plato to philosophers regarding cogent/factual proof.

“But you do not advance any cogent proof whatsoever; you base your statements on probability. If Theodorus, or any other geometrician, should base his geometry on probability, he would be of no account at all. So, you and Theodorus had better consider whether you will accept arguments founded on plausibility.”

Paul did not want believers in Colossae or any other place to leave the faith or fall into false doctrine. He says in verse five that even though he is not there physically, he was with them in Spirit.

“For even though I am absent in body, nevertheless I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good discipline and the stability of your faith in Christ.” Colossians 2:5.

The strong warning in verse 4 is followed in verse 5 with a pastoral affirmation to the Colossians by announcing that Paul believes they will not believe false teachers who preach heresy. Even though he tells them he may not be with them physically, but he would be with them in spirit.” We see this also in his first letter to the Church in Corinth.

“It is actually reported that there is immorality among you, and immorality of such a kind as does not exist even among the Gentiles, that someone has his father’s wife. You have become arrogant and have not mourned instead, so that the one who had done this deed would be removed from your midst. For I, on my part, though absent in body but present in spirit, have already judged him who has so committed this, as though I were present.” 1 Corinthians 5:1-3.

Now we come to our focus verse along with the following verse.

“Therefore, as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude.” – Colossians 2:6-7.

 The main point in this letter is the philosophy/heresy that was being taught in Colossae. The Colossian philosophers and forms of Old Testament idolatry are spiritually empty and thus worthless. They were both human-made and inherently deceitful. Neither the Colossian philosophy nor Old Testament idolatry were positive and/or beneficial. Both involve false promises of glory to the people. Viewed in light of these comparisons, both biblical idolatry and false philosophies represent competing and heretical alternatives to being “rooted and built up” in Christ.

I want to close out this writing with a look at verses 8-12.

“See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ. For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority; and in Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ; having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.” Colossians 2:8-12.

This word found in Colossians 2 is not speaking only to the Church in Colossae, but to the Church in this present time. We must be careful that we are not deceived into believing and accepting false beliefs that lead us away from the true God. We must watch that we are not ‘taken captive’ by them and ultimately turn away from Christ. Paul’s words do not simply declare God and Christ as one being but does deny there is deity to be found or known in a form other than Christ. While some philosophers reject this, claiming the Christian faith is exclusivist, others have called it “particularist.” That is, the primary claim of the Christian faith is a positive one, that God has become manifest in the particular person, Jesus of Nazareth, and is therefore known in the particular narrative of this man’s life, death, and resurrection. Therefore, a Christian understanding of the identity and character of God is inseparably linked to Jesus and his story. We must remain true to Christ and spread this truth to all we can. We must go out and help unbelievers and those trapped in any false religion to understand Christ is the only way. This is our calling, which is God’s calling to us.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries, Inc.

John 14:6

Verse of the Day: John 14:6 

“Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” – John 14:6

It is important that we grasp this truth so that we can counter the belief that there are many roads that lead to God.  Jesus said He was the only way to the Father.  Paul said in his letter to the Romans, “that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;” Romans 10:9.  This counter’s the ideas of the post-Modernists who believes there is no absolute truth, but that everyone has their own truth which they must follow.

We must stand strong in the reality that Jesus is the only way to salvation and any relationship with God; not to argue in anger but to speak in love.  They may try to convince you they are on a path to God, but a different one.  However, the truth is there is no other way.  It is our job to live our lives as though we see this as absolute truth so they can see that light in us and desire it themselves. This is our role as Christians here.  To lead people to the true God via the only path available, that being through the shed blood of Christ and all that entails.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries, Inc.

Philippians 3:20-21

Verse of the Day: Philippians 3:20-21

“But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.” – Philippians 3:20-21

As Christians, we may be living down here, however, this is not where our citizenship is.  Jesus put it like this, “I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.”  John 17:14 The world is against the truth and therefore is against us and our belief.

There is coming a time in the future whereby we will go to our new home.  It is the place where God dwells, and we will no longer have to deal with the world.  So, stand strong and uncompromising.  Do not let anyone cause you to be embarrassed or start to question your beliefs.  We are here for a time and then we go home.  Look ahead at this time and understand that things may be tough now, but a glorious eternal future lies ahead.  Rejoice in this.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries, Inc.

John 11:35

Verse of the Day: John 11:35

“Jesus wept.” – John 11:35 

If you want to see the love Jesus had for His friends, this is the perfect verse.  This is the shortest verse in all the scriptures, yet it is full of information about Jesus.

Now, what brought Jesus to this point?  A man named Lazarus of Bethany, brother to Mary and Martha was sick.  Mary and Martha sent word to Jesus letting Him know that Lazarus, whom He loved, was very ill.  Jesus’ response was, “This sickness is not to end in death, but for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified by it.” John 11:4. Jesus knew the situation and its eventual outcome.  Therefore, He stayed an additional two days where He was currently at.  So, when He finally did arrive, Mary went to Him and fell at His feet and told Jesus, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.”

Several things to see in this story.  First, there is a line that appears to contradict John 11:4 shown above.  “Therefore, when Mary came where Jesus was, she saw Him, and fell at His feet, saying to Him, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.” John 11:32. However, when we examine verse 4, we see that Jesus did not say Lazarus would not die, but that the sickness was not to end in death.  Lazarus did die, but this was not the end of the story.  It ended with him being raised from the dead.

The other thing is the reason for Jesus’ weeping.  It was not because Lazarus was dead, because He stated above that this sickness would not end in death.  The reason is found in verses 33-34.  “When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, He was deeply moved in spirit and was troubled, and said, ‘Where have you laid him?’ They said to Him, “Lord, come and see.”  Then comes our focus verse, “Jesus wept”.

He wept because of Mary and Martha, as well as the Jews who were with them.  He had such compassion on them because of the pain they were feeling that He could not hold back the tears.  This is how much He loves us.  Even now, I believe His compassion for us is just as strong, if not stronger.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries, Inc.

Colossians 2:6

Verse of the Day Devotion: Colossians 2:6

“Therefore, as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him,” – Colossians 2:6  

Paul here is encouraging the church in Colossae to live life as it is intended as followers of Christ.  He specifically says, ‘as you received Christ Jesus the Lord walk in Him’.  Not as you received the doctrines of God, walk in them.  He is being very explicit here.

When we accepted Christ as our savior, we received the Spirit of Life in Christ.  This is His spirit residing in us.  We will have this Spirit in us if we are truly saved.  Paul says later in a letter, “However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.” Romans 8:9 If we are saved, we do not live in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in us.  If He does not dwell in us, then we are not truly Christians.

So, if we have received the Spirit of God in us, then we are saved, so we must walk in Him.  To walk in Him means in this context, to conduct ourselves in the way Christ did and desires us to live.  The Law does not save, but it shows us the character of God and thus how we should live.  In the same faith, love and holiness He did.  Now we will occasionally fail in this, but when we do, we confess it to God and turn back to the life we should live.

The proof of our salvation is the life we live as a result of it.  Do we live totally committed to God, or not?  Paul is telling us that Christ gave it all for us.  We should desire, because of the Spirit that lives in us, to do the same for Him.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries, Inc.

Romans 6:23

Verse of the Day Devotion: Romans 6:23

“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” – Romans 6:23

Paul wrote this in order to finalize a section where he was writing about the difference of being slaves to sin and slaves of righteousness.  Before we are saved, we are slaves to sin.  This word translated slave is the Greek word doulos, meaning slave or bondservant.  We obey our sinful desires which is counter to obeying God.

When we accept Christ as savior, accepting the work Christ did on the cross, then our old man who was a bondservant to sin dies, which then releases us from our bondage to sin, and because of the resurrection we are a new creation, being a new man who has no ties to sin, and we now are slaves to righteousness.

Now, there are two ultimate endings based on our decision.  Let’s look first at our former life.  We read in a couple verses up, “Therefore what benefit were you then deriving from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the outcome of those things is death.” Romans 6:21.  This is simple, if we remain in in our former life, not accepting Christ as our Savior, the “final result” is death.  There can be no other.  For we have nothing we can do to be declared righteous before God.  Only the work of Christ provides it.

Now, let’s look at our new life in Christ.  Paul said in the next verse, “But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life.” Romans 6:22.  The “final result” of accepting Christ is first, a new life focused on holiness since the old is gone.  However, even better, this life will be eternal, everlasting, never ending.  I would say this is infinitely better then if we remained separated from Him.

Now, to the focus verse.  Look at what is said.  “Wages of Sin” and “Gift of God”.  Wages are defined as something we earn by the works we do.  Therefore, if we do not accept Christ, the old man will get what he earned, what he deserves.  That being death.  However, if we do accept Christ, we earn / deserve nothing.  However, we get a “free gift” from God.  And that is eternal life in Him.

So, we either get what we earn, which is death, or what we do not earn, which is eternal life.  I’ll take what I did not earn.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries, Inc.

Matthew 19:26

Verse of the Day Devotion: Matthew 19:26

“And looking at them Jesus said to them, “With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” – Matthew 19:26

A rich young ruler came to Christ and asked Him what good He needed to do to attain eternal life.  Jesus answered him saying, “Why are you asking Me about what is good? There is only One who is good; but if you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.“.  Matthew 19:17.  He was not telling him that salvation is attained by works, but He answered him based on what the Law said.  He has not, at this time, died and paid the penalty, thus the reason as I understand it for His answer.  He then listed a subset of the laws to follow.  The young man then replies, “All these things I have kept; what am I still lacking?”  Matthew 19:20b.  Jesus then responds with this, “If you wish to be complete, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” Matthew 19:21.

What Jesus was saying was that nothing can take precedence over Him.  Salvation comes through giving up everything to follow Him.  When the young ruler heard these words, he walked away because He could not place Jesus above his belongings.  Then we read the following, “And Jesus said to His disciples, ‘Truly I say to you, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.  Again, I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”  Matthew 19:23-24.

So, what was Jesus saying referring to camel through the eye of a needle?  There are several thoughts on this, however, the most likely explanation is that it is a hyperbole.  The Persians expressed the idea of impossibility by declaring that it would be easier for an elephant to go through the eye of a needle.  The use of camel was a Jewish form of this phrase, using the largest animal in Israel, that being the camel.  So, what Jesus was saying was simply it is seemingly impossible for a rich man to be saved because their riches mean so much to them.  Few if any would be willing to give up everything for Him.

“When the disciples heard this, they were very astonished and said, ‘Then who can be saved?”  Matthew 19:25.   Then we come to our focus verse.  “And looking at them Jesus said to them, “With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Matthew 19:26.

Man cannot save himself because it is impossible to be perfect.  Jews believed that through sacrificing an animal to God, their sins would be removed.  However, it is really through giving everything to God and following His Word and obeying His commands.  “but if you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.” Matthew 19:17b.  However, we cannot keep them perfectly, Jesus, the Son of God, came here and lived that perfect life for us.  And by doing so, and us accepting His work on the cross, we are justified, declared righteous.  He said, “Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill.” Matthew 5:17.  He came to do what we could not and applied it to our situation if we believe in our hearts, mind, and lives.  What a mighty and loving God we serve.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries, Inc.

1 John 2:1

Verse of the Day Devotion: 1 John 2:1

“My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous;” – 1 John 2:1

In the first chapter, John lays out how we are to view sin in our lives.  “This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.” 1 John 1:5-10.  In summary, John is saying if we say we are fellowshipping with Jesus and yet continue in sin, we are lying and there is not truth in what we say.  But if we live and walk in holiness and purity and thereby shine the light of Christ into the darkness, then we shall have fellowship with Him and each other.  Notice the two things John says about the declaration of no sin.  1)  we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us, and 2) we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.

John states in our focus verse that he wrote those things that we would not sin.  The idea here is to strive for a life of holiness.  To make the purpose of our life to live in a manner that is pleasing to the Lord.  Unfortunately, we are all tempted to sin, and there are times when we succumb to the temptation.  However, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus, who lived the life of perfection we could not and through His death, burial and resurrection we were justified, declared righteous, for the penalty was paid for us on the cross of Christ.  “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”  1 John 1:9.

This to me is a very encouraging verse.  We are called to live a holy life, and we can only do this through the power and agency of the Holy Spirit.  Unfortunately, we get distracted from this calling and we fall into the trap of doing what we want as opposed to what God wants.  This, to me, is the definition of sin; following our desires rather than his.  The encouraging thing is that we have that advocate with the Father.  The definition of advocate in the Merriam-Webster dictionary Is one who pleads the case or cause of another before a judicial court.  Jesus pleads our case before the Father for mercy and forgiveness, which is granted, again, because of the work of Christ on the cross.  He does not just forgive, but He also cleanses us from all unrighteousness.   How great is the father’s love for us!

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries, Inc.

Matthew 9:12

Verse of the Day Devotion: Matthew 9:12

“But when Jesus heard this, He said, it is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick.” – Matthew 9:12 

When Jesus called Matthew, a tax collector, to follow Him, he took Jesus to his home and provided a feast for Him.  There were also many others there with them.  “Then it happened that as Jesus was reclining at the table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were dining with Jesus and His disciples.” Matthew 9:10. Now tax collectors were considered horrible people by the Jews for several reasons.  First, many times they would collect more than was due as a payment to themselves, but more terrible than that was that the money they collected went to Rome and not the Jewish leaders.

Now Pharisees arrived at the dinner as well.  “When the Pharisees saw this, they said to His disciples, why is your teacher eating with the tax collectors and sinners?” Matthew 9:11. In essence, what they were asking the disciples was, ‘You call this man the Messiah, the promised one of David.  You say He is a great man and yet, He eats with all these sinners and tax collectors.  Why would He fellowship with them?’  In those days, eating and drinking with others denoted an intimacy and a familiarity with those you partake of food and drink with.  The Pharisees, by asking their question was accusing Jesus of seeking fellowship with these people, these tax collectors, sinners, and wicked people.  What we can deduce from what they said is that there is no way Jesus could be righteous if He delighted in the company of these hideous people.

According to Jewish tradition, not the Law but their traditions, it was sinful to fellowship with sinners.  Jesus heard what they said.  The disciples did not need to tell Him, for He was aware of their words, and I am sure their hearts.  “But when Jesus heard this, He said, It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick.” Matthew 9:12. This is our focus verse.  What He was saying was, not everyone needs a doctor, only those who were sick.  Of course, the Pharisees were sinners as much as anyone else.  However, as Pharisees, they thought they were already pure and holy, because they followed the law and all the traditions of Judaism.  And since they believe such, they believed they did not need His help or aid.  And He clarified what He said with these words, “But go and learn what this means: ‘I DESIRE COMPASSION, AND NOT SACRIFICE,’ for I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” Matthew 9:13. Again, those He declares righteous in this verse are those who believe they are and do not believe they need forgiveness.

We are called to go to all who are sick and show them Jesus, the one who came to heal them of their sickness, that being sin.  This is why He came, to show this to all who understood their predicament or believe when they are advised of it.  Reach out to the sinners and do not ignore or shy away from them. Reach out to those who need and are open to hear the gospel; no matter who they are and what they have done.  If we are to be like Jesus, then we must reach out to such as He did.  This is our calling.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries, Inc.