Teachers, this lesson's objective: to build or expand the student's awareness that Jesus taught the "undesirables" of Jewish society. Remind your class that the nation of Israel was a religious nation, and Jewish society was a religious society. Religion regulated the nation and society. All laws were considered religious laws. One of the groups that Jesus taught (compassionately) was composed of people who either rejected the religious standards of society or failed to meet the religious standards of society. Society rejected these people and considered them to be unsuitable for association. "Proper" religious people did not associate with "sinners."
Each gospel referred to a group known in acceptable Jewish religious society as "the sinners." Religiously concerned Jews feared being classified as one of the "sinners." At least three views exist as to whom the "sinners" were. View one: "sinners" were Jewish people who refused to follow the Pharisees' strict guidelines. View two: "sinners" were those who chose to do evil and refused to repent. View three: "sinners" were those who opposed God's will [as defined by the person or group who considered these people to be "sinners"]. [Allen Black, The College Press NIV Commentary: Mark (College Press Publishing Company: 1995), p.71]
Note: there is disagreement concerning the specific identity of this group. There is no disagreement that this group was (a) rejected by the religious leaders and (b) condemned as "undesirables." They were to be condemned and rejected, and not to be rescued. The religious leaders viewed this group as beyond hope.
Some facts seem evident from statements made in the gospels. (1) The Jewish "sinners" were one of two groups [sinners and tax collectors] within first century Israel who were examples of ungodly people governed by evil. (2) Thus, "sinners" were Jews who [a] were not religious or [b] defied religious values and positions. They were accused of allowing evil to rule them. (3) "Sinners" were Jews who refused God's control of their lives. They rejected common religious practices. (4) "Sinners" were among the undesirables in Israel's religious society.
At times the judgments or evaluations of religious leaders placed someone in that group. At times the person's behavior placed him or her in that group. Sinners were unsuitable for social association in Israel. Properly religious people shunned them. See Matthew 9:10-13 and John 9:22. Such undesirables were denied involvement in synagogue activities, and synagogues occupied a central role in Jewish communities. Though the sinners were Jews, those who considered themselves "godly" and "committed" rejected them.
Israel's religious leaders used an ancient device common in all societies: "You can determine the character of a person by noting the people with whom he or she associates." An old rural American proverb: "Birds of a feather flock together." In the past it was popular to quote Paul: "Evil communications corrupt good morals" (KJV--1 Corinthians 15:33). Because Jesus associated with (ate and drank with) the "sinners," that proved Jesus was an ungodly man exerting an ungodly influence. Because Jesus at times associated with the wrong kind of people, a godly person could [justly] dismiss anything Jesus said.
Another realization must "balance the scales." Likely, many of these people had no desire to be a part of the "Jewish mainstream religious establishments." (1) Every society has individuals who have no desire to be religious. That likely was true of some of the sinners. (2) Some likely were disgusted and "turned off" by religious leaders they could not and did not respect. If Jesus saw the Pharisees' and scribes' inconsistencies (Matthew 23), some of these people surely saw those inconsistencies. (3) Some likely enjoyed and valued the pleasures produced by evil conduct. (4) Some likely were enslaved to a sense of guilt. While many sinners likely felt rejected by religious society, it is likely many had little desire to be a part of Israel's religious establishments.
Perhaps the amazing thing was not that Jesus associated with sinners, but that sinners associated with Jesus. "Sinners" quite often [in every age] see with "honest eyes." They often see through the pretentiousness, shallowness, masks, arrogance, pride, and basic inconsistencies of the "properly religious." Often too many of the "religious" people known by "sinners" were insincere role players. The spirituality of these "religious" people was skin deep [not heart deep], and their behavior was governed by circumstances. "Sinners" often viewed themselves as more honest and less hypocritical.
Jesus "connected" with these people because he was a compassionate person who forgave. He gave them hope. He declared God would accept them if they repented. That is why many of them associated with Jesus (Matthew 9:10) and listened to Jesus (Luke 15:1).
"Sinners" were accustomed to "godly" people criticizing, condemning, judging, and accusing them. They received the "godly indignation" of religiously acceptable people. Jesus was different. He did not approve of their sinfulness, but his teachings and insights challenged them [instead of rejecting them]. He was unquestionably "for" them. He encouraged. He gave hope. He forgave. He extended compassion in the mercy and grace of God. He cared. Interestingly, the sinners were attracted to Jesus while the religious leaders were offended by Jesus.
The tax collectors (people who collected taxes for the Romans) and the sinners came.
"Why is your Teacher eating with tax collectors and sinners?" The reference to "your teacher" acknowledges the teacher-disciple relationship religiously common in Israel. The question would indicate that a godly teacher worthy to instruct disciples in God's ways should not and would not associate with such people.
Jesus said the sick, not the healthy, need a doctor. They did not understand God's concern reflected in Hosea 6:6. God valued compassion above sacrifice. Jesus came to help the sinners. The righteous would understand and respond to God's message and purposes. Correct worship is meaningless and without value if it is not coupled with compassionate concern for people.
No matter what Jesus did, it received the disapproval of the "properly religious." They responded to Jesus as if they were the children playing at the market (an important place in the daily lives of people that had no means for preserving food). The children expected people to respond to whatever they did. They were impossible to please and easily disappointed. Jesus said John came fasting and they declared that John was demon possessed. He said that he came not fasting and then some people called him a glutton, drunkard, and friend of "the wrong kind of people." The deeds produced by wisdom vindicate wisdom.
His disciples were to treat people as they, themselves, would like to be treated.
When a person restricts his or her love to people who love him or her, the person does no more than people who are not influenced by God.
Sinners love people who love them. Loving people who love you is a common human response, not a godly response.
Even Jews who are not influenced by God lend to Jews who are "a good credit risk." When they have every expectation of receiving the same amount back, they would make a loan [Jews could not charge each other interest; see Exodus 22:25; Deuteronomy 23:19,20].
Those who followed Jesus were to love, do good to, loan to [without expecting return] those who were their enemies. Sinners would not respond to enemies in these ways.
Jesus' disciples practiced this higher standard because Father God's actions are based on mercy. They belong to God, so God's criteria and actions are their criteria and actions.
The woman who came uninvited was a sinner [an immoral woman].
She washed Jesus' feet with her tears, dried his feet with her hair, kissed his feet, and anointed his feet with perfume.
"If this man were God's prophet, he would know what sort of person this woman is who is touching him. She is a sinner [immoral woman]."
Jesus said her faith saved her. Her repentance was visible. She loved and appreciated Jesus for his compassion and mercy. She did what she could do to express her appreciation.
The common conclusion seems to have been that God was punishing them for some serious, offensive act of evil.
The conclusion seems to have been the same: God was punishing them for some serious, offensive act of evil.
Everyone is evil. Everyone needs to repent. The common need to repent was as great for everyone as it was for those who died offering sacrifices or died when the tower fell. The point has little impact for us, but it had powerful impact for them. Jews commonly believed that disasters were acts of God to punish evil. The suggestion that everyone needed to repent as urgently as did those who suffered tragedy was astounding.
The tax collectors and sinners came to listen to Jesus.
They used the tactic of guilt by association. "This man receives sinners and eats with them. Disregard anything he says. He associates with the wrong kind of people."
The central theme of the chapter is repentance. Jesus proclaimed the value and power of repentance from different perspectives.
God's angels rejoice when one sinner repents more than they rejoice over ninety-nine righteous people who do not need to repent. There is more joy in heaven over the decision of one person who did not belong to God choosing to redirect his or her life than there is over ninety-nine people who have already made that decision. Why? God's mercy and forgiveness bore fruit in the repentance of the sinner.
"Is this man's blindness the result of his sin or his parents' sin?"
The man's blindness is not the product of sin. It exists in order to display the works of God.
They said that they knew Jesus was a sinner.
He was amazed that they could not see Jesus obviously came from God. God hears the requests of people who reverence Him and do His will. He does not hear the requests of sinners. God would not use the power to turn blindness into sight through a man who did not reverence God or do God's will.
How could you possibly think you are qualified to teach us anything? You were born in sin--totally in sin. The fact that he had been blind proved that he was a sinner.
Christians must never forget that Jesus led "sinners" to repentance.
Link to Student Guide
Quarter 1, Lesson 2