Jesus and His disciples were sitting at a table with many tax collectors and other guests who were not accepted by the Jews.

The religious leaders and teachers of the law rebuked them harshly, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with such scum?”

Jesus answered, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—only the sick do. I have not come to call those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners and need to repent.”

The Lord accepts us just as we are, without showing favoritism. The only requirement is to recognize that we have been living wrongly and long for a new life with Him.

There is no need to pretend in His presence or to show what we are not. Jesus has come to heal and restore anyone who acknowledges they are sick, broken by life, and hungry for God’s presence.

We all come with wounds, harmful habits, insecurities, and mistrust. But the Lord receives us this way, extends His arms of love, and begins a wonderful process of restoration within us.

Only someone who has forgotten how they arrived and has lost gratitude could exclude others from God’s grace.