Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Luke 5:32
I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
32. I came not to call ] Rather, I have not come.
the righteous ] This also was true in two senses. Our Lord came to seek and save the lost. He came not to the elder son but to the prodigal; not to the folded flock but to the straying sheep. In a lower and external sense these Pharisees were really, as they called themselves, ‘the righteous’ ( chasidim). In another sense they were only self-righteous and self-deceived (Luk 18:9). St Matthew tells us that He further rebuked their haughty and pitiless exclusiveness by borrowing one of their own formulae, and bidding them “ go and learn ” the meaning of Hos 6:6, “I will have mercy and not sacrifice,” i. e. love is better than legal scrupulosity; Mat 9:13; Mat 12:7. The invariable tendency of an easy and pride-stimulating externalism when it is made a substitute for heart-religion is the most callous hypocrisy. The Pharisees were condemned not by Christ only but by their own Pharisaic Talmud, and after b. c. 70 the very name fell into such discredit among the Jews themselves as a synonym for greed and hypocrisy that it became a reproach and was dropped as a title (Jost, Gesch. d. Juden. iv. 76; Gfrrer, Jahrh. d. Heils, i. 140; Lightfoot, Hor. Hebr. on Mat 3:7).
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Luk 5:32
I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance
The Sin healer
This conduct of Christ was not official or symbolic.
It was His feeling as very God that led Him to this course. It opened to the world the very Divine nature. A disposition to heal men of sin is a greater manifestation of Divine rectitude than to exterminate sin by punishment. It is this thought that I shall attempt to draw out briefly, and apply to our own case and experience.
I. To HEAR SIN EVINCES HATRED OF EVIL EVEN MORE THAN A SUMMARY PUNISHMENT OF IT. Consider the patience, the self-sacrifice, which is required to win men from evil habits, and from wicked dispositions. Now we measure our moral likes or dislikes by what they lead us to undergo. How much we love we can tell by how much we will bear for our affections; how much we dislike, by what effort we are willing to put forth to resist or avoid what is offensive to us. Consider a teacher who shall avenge himself of a pupils disobedience by punishing, or by summarily excluding that pupil. How cheap is such riddance of mischief from his school! How is all summed up in one outburst of feeling! It is very painful and disagreeable, but it is short. But suppose that, instead of resorting to expulsion, with its disgrace, the teacher shall enter into the sympathy of the pupil by gentleness, by winning kindness, by forbearance, by devoting his very life to him, and shall set him upon reformation, and wait for him to reform, and endure while he is reforming. How much more does he, by such a course of conduct as this, evince his dislike of evil, than by merely excluding the pupil! What we will bear for the sake of getting rid of evil, measures how much we dislike it.
II. A DISPOSITION TO HEAL SIN IS THE CLEAREST POSSIBLE EXPOSITOR OF MORAL RECTITUDE. Men do not always see it to be so. It is a part of our lower thinking to believe that a thunderous exhibition, with a display of wrath and punitive judgment, is a more solemn and conclusive manifestation of the Divine abhorrence of sin. But an abhorrence of sin is more illustriously marked by gentleness and patience in healing it, than by any display of justice in punishing it. He that once conceives of the God that presides over the universe, and keeps all its elements intact and unharmed, as a God that makes Himself the medicine for those that are led away from purity, and becomes Himself the Saviour of sinners–he that once does this has a conception of rectitude in God, and of the Divine hatred of evil, such as he can get in no other way.
III. A DISPOSITION TO HEAL SIN DOES NOT TAKE AWAY FROM SIN ANY OF ITS DANGERS. It removes no barriers, and yields no encouragements. There are ways of dealing with evil that lead to the presumption that it is safe to sin because there is a chance for recovery, if harm begins to come upon the sinner; but the way in which Christ dealt with evil led to no such presumption. Where men fall into sickness by their excesses, is the tenderness on the part of the nurse an argument for the repetition of those excesses. The care and the kindness of a parent in restoring a son from downfall are never a reason with a grateful son for falling again. And the grace of God in Christ Jesus, that bears With sin, not because it is to be allowed, but because, being hateful. God addresses the whole energy of His Being and administration to the rescue of men from it-this does not take away anything from the fear of sin, nor furnish motives to transgression.
IV. On the part of those who Ere healed, A DISPOSITION TO HEAL SIN PRODUCES A GENEROUS REPENTANCE, WHICH GROWS OUT OF THE NOBLER SENTIMENTS OF THE MIND, and which is therefore a true repentance–one that does not need to be repented of. It is no longer fear of consequences, nor even self-condemnation or conscience, that inspires reformation; it is an action of gratitude; a work of love.
V. SUCH A DISPOSITION PRESENTS THE DIVINE CHARACTER IN A LIGHT WHICH TENDS TO UNIVERSAL ADMIRATION AND UNIVERSAL CONFIDENCE. It takes nothing away from the essential authority and monarchy of God; but it brings God into vital sympathetic relations to His creatures–especially where the remedy has been wrought out at the expense of His own life. The spectacle of a God that is clothed with a spirit of justice made firm in the administration of a righteous government, and of one that, loving justice, still finds rescue and release for the transgressor through the interposition of His own self–that spectacle is one that cannot but fill the heart of every pure and noble creature with admiration and confidence and love. God, by the very pains with which He sought to cleanse the heart and the conscience, testified to how dangerous was that sin that had disfigured the conscience and soiled the heart. With this brief statement, I remark–
1. There is great encouragement for men that have given way to temptation and transgression, to turn back from evil, to repent, and to enter upon a course of right-living. One of the most wonderful of doctrines was the declaration of Christ that a man might be born again; not merely that he must be–which it true, if he would see the kingdom of heaven–but that he might be; that a man who had for years and years gone wrong, might, as it were, go back and call all the past nothing, and start over again. What would men give if they could do this in their secular affairs t Only God is on the side of the man that wants to return to the path of holiness. There is no parallel to the Divine helpfulness towards the erring anywhere out of the family. When men in secular relations and social connections have done wrong, nothing is on their side–everything is against them. The influences of this world tend to hold a man up in the beginning.
2. This exhibition of God in healing sin instead of punishing it, is the model for Christian dispositions. We must have the Spirit of Christ, or we are none of His. The mother that watches over her child, and that, seeing its faults, not so much punishes it as trains it out of those faults, devoting her life, day and night, to its welfare; the mother that wins her child out of evil into good–that mother stands as the childs saviour, reproducing the example and conduct of Christ towards her little one. Arc there those round about you that need succour and help: Have you done some things for them?
3. What will be the glorious disclosure of this Divine nature in heaven–the lovableness of God, the attractive beauty that there is in Him, so disclosed by the Saviour! (H. W. Beecher.)
Self-righteousness giving way to penitence
The man who thinks he is not so very bad, is no true penitent. I am the chief of sinners, said holy Paul, and that is sure to be the feeling of the man who is truly penitent. A good Quaker told me once how he visited a sick neighbour, and began to talk to the man about soul-matters. Religion was all very good, the poor sick man acknowledged, but he could not see what need he had to concern himself abort it, for he had never done anybody any harm in his life. The good Quaker tried to convince him that he had lived without hope and without God in the world, and that he was not fit to die; that he had neither prayed nor worshipped, nor read his Bible, nor trained up his children in the fear of God, and he ought to feel himself a sinner in the sight of his Maker. The good Quaker knelt and prayed with him, and visited him again and again, and began to observe that the man gradually forgot to boast of his innocence; and, at last, seemed to be growing very tender, for he observed him in tears. At last he could conceal his state no longer, but burst out into weeping–I am too great a sinner, said he; there is no mercy for me! Thank God! said the good Quaker, I have hope of thee now. Let us pray once more, and see if there be no mercy for thee. The Quaker prayed, and the poor sinner prayed; and before they gave over, the sinners soul was set free, and he rejoiced in the pardoning love of God. (Thomas Cooper.)
Christs errand
I. WHAT IS THE PURPORT OF CHRISTS COMING INTO AND WORK IN TEE WORLD AS ANNOUNCED IN THE SCRIPTURES GENERALLY? Universal and all-inclusive. The world. Whosoever.
II. HERE, HOWEVER, AN APPARENT LIMITATION. Some whom He did not come to call: the righteous. Who were these righteous? Wee e they really righteous? No, but only self-righteous.
III. ARE THERE, THEN, ANY WHOM CHRIST DID NOT COME TO SAVE? NO. But so long as a man is self-righteous he is not saveable, he cannot hear and obey the call of Christ. Christs errand is to the needy and the sinful. Let the self-righteous become conscious of his unrighteousness and sinfulness, and he becomes at once one of those whom Christ came to call. For–
IV. IN COMING TO CALL SINNERS HE TRULY CAME TO CALL ALL, for all are sinners. And thus is the apparent limitation, so far as His desire and purpose are concerned, shown not really to exist. He will have all men to be saved and to tome to a knowledge of the truth. (J. B. Bailey.)
Criminality certainly appeared to Christ more odious and detestable than it did to His contemporaries. How strange, then, to find Him treating it more leniently I perfect justice here appears to take the very course which would be taken by injustice. It is true that the extremes do in a manner meet. Christ, representing the highest humanity, treats crime in a manner which superficially resembles the treatment of it by those in whom humanity is at the lowest stage. But the other toleration was barbarous. Christs toleration is the newly-revealed virtue of mercy. (Ecce Homo.)
There are two classes of men–the righteous who believe themselves sinners; and sinners who believe themselves righteous. (Pascal.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
I came not to call the righteous,…. Such as the Scribes and Pharisees were in their own apprehension, and in the esteem of others, who trusted in themselves, that they were righteous, and submitted not to the righteousness of Christ: these Christ came not to call by his grace, and therefore did not associate himself with them: but sinners to repentance; such as the publicans, and others, with them, were; and therefore he was chiefly with such, and chose to be among them: these he not only called to repentance by the outward ministry of the word, but brought them to it; he having power to bestow the grace of repentance, as well as to call to the duty of it; [See comments on Mt 9:13].
[See comments on Mr 2:17].
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
To repentance ( ). Alone in Luke not genuine in Mark 2:17; Matt 9:12. Only sinners would need a call to repentance, a change of mind and life. For the moment Jesus accepts the Pharisaic division between “righteous” and “sinners” to score them and to answer their criticism. At the other times he will show that they only pretend to be “righteous” and are “hypocrites” in reality. But Jesus has here blazed the path for all soul-winners. The self-satisfied are the hard ones to win and they often resent efforts to win them to Christ.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
1) I came not to call the righteous,” (ouk elelutha kalesai dikaous) I have not come to call righteous persons,” nor was He so sent, Joh 3:17; Luk 19:10; Mat 9:12. They were called to the feast, the spread table, to take Him as the bread of life to satisfy their hungry soul, Isa 55:1-3; Luk 14:16-24.
2) “But sinners to repentance.” (alla hamartolous eis metanoian) “But lawless ones (sinners) to repentance,” like the publicans that you scribes and Pharisees frown upon, though you have come to sit and eat a feast with them, Mat 9:13; Mar 1:14-15; Mar 2:17; Mar 6:12.
His first coming and call was to sinners for salvation, through repentance and faith, Joh 3:17; Luk 19:10; Luk 15:7-10; 1Co 6:9-11; 1Ti 1:15; 2Pe 3:9.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
(32) I came not.Strictly, I have not come.
But sinners to repentance.In the best MSS. the last word is added by St. Luke only. One MS. (the Sinaitic) has the remarkable various-reading the ungodly for sinners, as if from a recollection of Rom. 5:6-7.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
Luk 5:32 . : doubtless a gloss of Lk.’s or of a tradition he used, defining and guarding the saying, but also limiting its scope. is to be understood in a festive sense = I came to call sinners to the feast of the Kingdom , as I have called to this feast the “sinners” of Capernaum.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
I came = I have come.
the righteous = righteous ones.
to = unto, with a view to. Greek. eis. App-104.
repentance. App-111.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Luk 5:32. ) is the transition of the mind from sin to righteousness, from sickness to health. This change is something of a delightful, not of a formidable nature: comp. the instance of Levi in proof of this, Luk 5:27-29.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
sinners
See, Rom 5:6; Rom 5:8; 1Ti 1:15.
Fuente: Scofield Reference Bible Notes
Luk 4:18, Luk 4:19, Luk 15:7, Luk 15:10, Luk 18:10-14, Luk 19:10, Luk 24:47, Isa 55:6, Isa 55:7, Isa 57:15, Mat 18:11, Mar 15:7, Mar 15:10, Act 2:38, Act 3:19, Act 3:26, Act 5:31, Act 17:30, Act 20:21, Act 26:18-20, 1Co 6:9-11, 1Ti 1:15, 1Ti 1:16, 2Ti 2:25, 2Ti 2:26, 2Pe 3:9
Reciprocal: Jer 8:22 – no physician Eze 34:16 – seek that Mat 4:17 – Repent Mat 9:13 – to call Mar 2:17 – They that are whole Luk 7:37 – which Joh 8:11 – go
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
CHRISTS CALL
I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
Luk 5:32
The call of Levi and the incidents associated with it are full of interest and instruction. Note:
I. The power of Christs calling grace.Levi belonged to a class who were a very proverb for wickedness. Yet even he at once left all, rose up, followed Christ, and became a disciple.
II. Obedience to Christs call brings joy.Levi made a great feast in his own house; and there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.
III. Converted souls desire to promote the conversion of others.Levi invited a great company of publicans to share in his feast. Most probably these men were his old friends and companions. He knew well what their souls needed, for he had been one of them.
III. The chief object of Christs coming into the world.We have it in the well-known words, I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
Illustration
We must be careful not to suppose that Levi neglected his duty to the government and inflicted loss on his employers, by this sudden action here recorded, in leaving his post. It is highly probable that, like many tax-gatherers and toll-collectors, he hired the tolls at the place where our Lord found him, by the year, and paid in advance. This being the case, if he chose to leave his post, he did so entirely at his own loss, but the government was not defrauded. Watson remarks, Had Levi been a government servant hired at a salary like our custom-house officers, to collect the duties, he must in justice have remained until a successor was appointed. But having himself purchased the tolls and dues for a given period, he was at liberty to throw up the office of exacting them at pleasure. The word translated feast, is only used here and Luk 19:13. It means a kind of large reception banquet, such as only wealthy people could give, and at which the guests were numerous. The worldly sacrifice which Levi made in becoming Christs disciple was probably greater than that made by any of the Apostles.
Fuente: Church Pulpit Commentary
2
This verse continues the same thought set forth in the preceding one. The sinner is the one who needs to be induced to repent.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Verse 32
Nothing can excel the conciseness, point, and absolute conclusiveness of the Savior’s replies to the Pharisaic cavils.