Matthew 9:10-13
“It happened as he sat in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Jesus and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw it, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” When Jesus heard it, he said to them, “Those who are healthy have no need for a physician, but those who are sick do. Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ for I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.””
This passage is from the Gospel of Matthew, written likely in the late 1st century, often understood to be for a Jewish-Christian audience. It follows Jesus calling Matthew, a tax collector, to be his disciple, and shows Jesus sharing a meal with others in Matthew's house.
What groups or individuals in our society today face similar social or religious exclusion, and how does this passage challenge our perspectives on them?