What is the significance of Jesus eating with sinners?

In chapter 5:30 they murmured against His disciples, saying, "Why do ye eat and drink with publicans and sinners?"

In chapter 7:34 they grow abusive and say, "Behold a gluttonous man, and a wine-bibber, a friend of publicans and sinners."

In chapter 15:2 they say with bitter enmity, "This man receives sinners and eats with them."

And again in chapter 19:7 "they all murmured, saying, That He was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner."

They spoke the truth in their hatred, and that which they thought was His shame was His glory, as a countless host of sinners saved by grace will declare in His eternal praise.

The self-righteous religionist always did and always will murmur against the grace of God, but what folly is this, for where should the doctor be but among the folk that are sick, and where should the great Saviour be but among sinners. It was for this He came — to call sinners to repentance. We are glad that His foes called Him "the Friend of sinners"; they gave Him a name that shines out with an imperishable lustre and countless multitudes will rejoice in the glory of God for ever because He befriended every individual soul of them, when apart from Him they were hopeless and lost.

There were two great powers conspiring together that day to bring her into the place of blessing; her great need was driving her and His great love was drawing her, and between the driving power of her need and the drawing power of His love she was forced into the most blessed place in the universe of God, at the feet of Jesus.

It was in his house that Jesus sat at meat with publicans and sinners and His disciples; so now he was disbursing money instead of receiving it. The whole proceeding outraged the Pharisees, but this gave occasion for the concise statement as to His mission. The Pharisees had overlooked the word of the Lord through Hosea, that He preferred the exercise of mercy to the offering of ceremonial sacrifices — a word which many a modern Pharisee overlooks — and they were ignorant of His mission to the spiritually sick, in calling sinners to repentance. Had He come to call "the righteous," the Pharisees no doubt would have come forward in crowds; only to be rejected to a man, since "the righteous" according to the Divine standard do not exist.

The pardon then was there, and grace toward sinners. He was there in this character. He goes and eats with the tax-gatherers after having called Matthew who was one of them. It was not the outside which guided His walk. God was there, and the work was to be the effect of His presence and of His grace, not to depend on what He found.

Therefore He is there forgiving sins and eating with sinners; but it is Jehovah who heals (Psalm 103). The revelation as to the work goes farther. It could not be put into the old Jewish forms, nor could one take what was found in them as vessels containing it. A tax-gatherer was to be an apostle; a Pharisee at most to learn that he must absolutely be born anew.

The stern and distant minister of righteousness, with the axe of judgement in his hand, and the lowly, gentle Minister of divine grace, with words of tenderness and acts of goodness, were alike rejected by the men of that generation. But wisdom's children will ever justify her, in all her doings and in all her sayings. The Lord be praised for this rich mercy! What a privilege to be of the favoured number of wisdom's children! To have an eye to see, an ear to hear, and a heart to understand and appreciate the ways and works and words of divine Wisdom!

In answer to their taunt when they said, "This Man receiveth sinners and eateth with them," the Son of God spake this parable to show that God Himself not only received sinners, but that He actually and diligently sought them, that they might be found, saved and brought home to Himself with rejoicing. This is the chapter of divine merrymaking over the returning one.

The three parts of this one "parable" in Luke 15, tell the wonderful story of the great joy of God the Son, God the Holy Ghost, and God the Father over the repentance and home-coming of "one" wanderer.

Did any wonder at the Lord eating with sinners and the disreputable? His answer was, They that are strong have no need of a physician, but those that are sick. But go and learn what that is, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice; for I came to call not righteous but sinners.