Sermon title: “Why does he eat with sinners?”
(Mark 2,13-17)
Pastor: Brian Moore

This sermon presents Mark 2:13–17 as a snapshot of the whole Christian message. The central question—“Why does Jesus eat with tax collectors and sinners?”—reveals His mission and heart. What ultimately matters is not someone’s outward condition or moral reputation, but their standing before God. Jesus comes as the true Physician, not for those who believe they are healthy, but for sinners who know they need healing.

Jesus eats with sinners because He loves the Father and perfectly fulfills His will, even to the point of the cross. Christmas is therefore, above all, a celebration of the love between the Father and the Son. At the same time, Jesus eats with sinners because He loves His people—those chosen in Him before the foundation of the world. The calling of Levi shows this grace clearly: a despised and corrupt tax collector is chosen, cleansed, and given a new identity as a son of God.

In contrast, the Pharisees misunderstand reality. Their self-righteousness blinds them to their own spiritual sickness, leading them to judge others while remaining distant from Jesus. The sermon concludes by emphasizing that this is precisely why Jesus came: to call sinners, restore them, and bring them into true life with God. This is the reality of Christmas and the personal question it leaves with every listener: Is this your hope, and are you living in that reality?