On Mission

When I wake up I like to remind myself to be on mission for Christ. In Luke 19:10, Jesus stated His "mission statement," "to seek and save the lost." Ever since I have returned from Jerusalem I have been studying the Gospels. Tonight I was studying Luke 5:29-32, the scripture where Jesus was dining with sinners at Matthew's house. The Pharisees and the scribes asked Jesus' disciples , "Why he was eating and drinking with tax collectors  and sinners? Jesus replied to them, "the healthy don't need a doctor, but the sick do. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." Jesus referred to the Pharisees and their allies as the healthy and righteous. In contrast, Jesus labeled the tax collectors as the sick and the sinners. Jesus never meant the Pharisees were actually righteous, but only that they saw themselves that way.
In this story, those who the Pharisees viewed as sinners realized they were spiritually sick and desparately needed a spiritual doctor who could guide them to repentance.
Thus Jesus had a great desire or a "mission" to guide these sinners to repentance.
But the key to understanding this scripture is that these sinners came seeking to find out how they could be saved. Thus Jesus was dinning with them and preparing to share with them how they could turn away from their sins and one day live forever in heaven.
I pray there will be sinners dine with me and other Christians who will come seeking the life changing good news of Jesus Christ!