Introduction – The Doctor Is In
Have you ever noticed how people react when they find out someone’s a doctor?
Suddenly everyone’s got an ache or a rash they want to talk about!
There’s something about a doctor —
we know they’re there to help, to heal, to make things better.
That’s exactly how Jesus describes Himself in this passage —
• not as a judge,
• not as a lecturer,
• but as a doctor.
o He’s come for the sick,
o He’s come for the broken,
o He’s come for the messed-up, and the lost.
And that’s very good news — because that means He’s come for people like us.
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1. Jesus Sees Beyond Labels (v.13–14)
Jesus is walking beside the lake, teaching the crowds, when He spots Levi sitting at the tax collector’s booth.
Everyone else sees
? a cheat,
? a traitor,
? a man who’s sold out his people for profit.
But Jesus
• sees a person.
• He sees potential.
• He sees what Levi could become, not what he’s been.
And then He says those two words that change everything: “Follow me.”
Can you imagine the reaction?
The crowd would’ve been shocked!
The religious leaders would’ve been appalled.
But Levi gets up, leaves everything, and follows.
That’s what Jesus does —
He looks past our labels and sees our hearts.
He sees through the Mess to the Masterpiece underneath.
Application:
Who might Jesus be calling you to see differently?
• That neighbour who grates on you? (you know the one)
• That family member who’s the “black sheep”?
• That person who never seems to fit in?
Jesus looks at them — and at us — through eyes of grace.
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2. Jesus Welcomes the Outcast (v.15)
Not long after, Jesus is at Levi’s house having dinner — and the guest list is… surprising.
Tax collectors, sinners, outsiders.
In the culture of the time, eating with someone meant friendship, acceptance, belonging.
So what’s Jesus saying?
He’s saying, “You belong with Me.”
That’s the heart of the gospel.
Jesus’ table is wide enough for everyone —
no one’s too far gone,
too broken, or
too late.
Illustration idea:
We often talk about the empty chairs in this room.
Each empty seat is an invitation — a reminder that Jesus’ welcome is still open.
Who are the people not yet sitting in – [point]
THAT chair or That chair?
Application:
At Highfield Community, we say we want to bring people together and to Jesus.
This is what that looks like.
It’s about
o making space,
o opening our arms, and
o showing the same radical welcome that Jesus did.
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3. Religion Without Compassion Misses the Point (v.16)
Then the religious leaders show up.
They see Jesus eating with “those people” - and they’re disgusted.
“How can He call Himself holy and still spend time with them?”
You can almost hear the judgement dripping from their voices.
But Jesus turns it around.
He’s not worried about guilt by association.
He’s more concerned about healing by compassion.
Reflection:
It’s possible to be religious and yet completely miss the heart of God.
We can get so focused on being correct that we forget about being kind.
So focused on keeping pure that we forget about reaching out.
“Jesus cared more about people being healed
than about appearances being kept.”
That’s the kind of church we want to be at Highfield — one that cares more about people’s hearts than about keeping up appearances.
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4. Jesus Came for the Sick, Not the Self-Righteous (v.17)
Jesus says,
“It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.
I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
This is one of the clearest statements of His mission.
• He’s not here for those who think they’ve got it all together.
• He’s here for those who know they haven’t.
The good news of Jesus begins when we admit our need for Him.
We don’t need to
• Pretend,
• Polish ourselves up, or
• Perform.
We just come as we are — and let the Doctor do His healing work.
Object idea:
Hold up a first-aid kit.
When you’re unwell, the LAST THING you need is someone criticising you, right?
you need someone who can help.
That’s Jesus.
And that’s what His church is called to be — a place of grace, not judgement.”
Like we say here: We not here to point fingers at people, we are here to point people to Jesus – to the doctor.
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5. Becoming a Healing Community
So what does this mean for us - practically?
It means we become the kind of people and church where others can find
healing, belonging, and hope.
• We listen before we lecture.
• We welcome before we worry.
• We care before we correct.
A “Hospital Sign” or Photo
Hospitals aren’t places of shame — they’re places of hope.
They’re not for perfect people, but for people in need.
The church should be like that too —
not a museum for saints,
but a hospital for sinners.
When people walk through our doors, they should sense that this is a place of
• welcome,
• forgiveness, and
• new life —
because the Great Physician is here!
Takeaway:
The church’s mission mirrors Jesus’:
to be a place where the wounded find healing and the lost find welcome.
Because we are not the doctors — Jesus is.
We’re just His assistants, helping bring His healing to a broken world.
Challenge for the Week:
Who could you invite this week —
for coffee, for a meal, for a chat
— someone who might not expect it
Who could you show Jesus’ welcome to?
You never know what God might do through that small step of grace.
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Conclusion – The Doctor Is Still In
When Jesus called Levi, it wasn’t just an invitation — it was a rescue.
And He’s still doing the same today.
The Doctor is
• Still in.
• Still healing.
• Still calling.
• Still welcoming.
So let’s be a church that reflects His heart —
a community where anyone can come,
where grace is greater than judgement, and
where people find not a lecture, but a welcome.
