Jesus explains to the Pharisees that the Sabbath was made for man. The Law, the Prophets, the Torah, the creation, the Savior – it was for man. God is love and love is self-giving, not self-serving. God does all this for us.

God gives us what we need. David needed bread. The paralytic needed his sins forgiven. They came for healing. They got it, but they got more than that. The root of the problem was dealt with, not just the fix.

Jesus is even giving the scribes what they needed. They were concerned about blasphemy. It’s a serious charge and something religious leaders should be careful about. But Jesus gives them the proof of His authority. Whether or not they receive what Jesus gave them is another story, but He does give them what they need.

How does Jesus give Levi what he needed?

Levi, or Matthew, needed Jesus. We all need Jesus.

Levi was hated by his own people as a traitor, as a tax collector. He needed a new identity. He needed acceptance among the Jews, his own people.

Levi throws a party. His friends are those who are like him. He invites tax collectors. The religious leaders wonder at Jesus eating with sinners.

Jesus responds that He came to call sinners. As John points out, those who say they have no sin are liars. They make God a liar because He says there are none righteous. Our first step in coming to Christ is to know we are a sinner and need a Savior.

Was Jesus a “friend to sinners?” God hates sin. Matthew’s new identity was a follower of Jesus, not sinner.