It's not the healthy that need a doctor, but the sick.

According to my study Bible early church leaders believed that Matthew is the author of Matthew.  Now that sentence may sound silly but growing up I never understood how the books of the Bible got their names.  As a good little Lutheran/Pastor's kid I learned to recite the books of the Bible in order.  If you ask me to do it today I'd probably get about 75% of it right and forget a few.  But that's not important, just helpful when you are looking up a passage.

So, back to Matthew.  In today's reading Matthew 9, there are more accounts of Jesus healing the sick.  It also tells of when Matthew was 'recruited' as a disciple.  Matthew was a tax collector, a 'sinner'.  He was not considered a 'godly' man being a tax collector.  And this is where Matthew 9:12-13 comes in.  The Pharisees asked the disciples why Jesus ate with tax collectors and sinners and upon hearing this Jesus replied, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.  But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."  To me this speaks volumes!  People at that time did not expect Jesus to associate with 'sinners', Gentiles, children, the sick, the uneducated, and so on.  To Him everyone was important no matter how big or small, how worthy or unworthy, status or no status.  He chose Matthew who was considered one of the lowest of lows as a tax collector.  Yet Matthew had faith and followed Jesus.  If you think you don't mean enough or aren't deserving of God's love it's not true.  You are exactly who God is trying to bring into his flock.