A kingdom of sinners
by Neil Bergmann
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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’ (Mark 2:17).
Read Mark 2:13–22
There are many aspects of Jesus’ earthly ministry we look to as models for how we can proclaim the kingdom of God. We preach the good news through word and action. We examine God’s word in our Sunday services, youth groups, schools, community service agencies and electronic media. We care for and support our local communities through many different outreach activities, and we support the world’s poorest and most vulnerable through our national and international development agencies. We pray for the sick and provide practical care for friends and families who need it. These are all excellent examples of what it means to choose to spend our time in the kingdom of God rather than in the kingdom of this world.
In today’s story, Jesus models another challenging aspect of the kingdom. He eats with sinners and tax collectors. From our modern Christian perspective, we would rightly believe that we are all sinners (and also all saints), and we can rejoice because Jesus chooses to be with us, even though we are sinners. I don’t think that is the point of this story.
By sinners, I think Jesus is calling us to be in solidarity with society’s outcasts, those that we normally wouldn’t think of inviting, those who make us uncomfortable. And Jesus doesn’t just want us to help them; he wants us to eat with them and spend time with them, get to know them, and make sure they know the kingdom of God is something real and that they are welcome there. Luckily, even though this is hard, we don’t do it alone. The Holy Spirit is there to guide and support us.
Jesus, friend to the outcasts, help us to be generous, welcoming and hospitable to those the world tells us are unworthy. Amen.
Neil Bergmann is currently the chair of Lutheran Earth Care Australia and New Zealand. A retired computer engineer, he worships at Our Saviour Lutheran Church, Rochedale, Queensland. He enjoys reading, cooking and spending time with his family.
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