27 After this he went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax booth. And he said to him, “Follow me.” 28 And leaving everything, he rose and followed him. 29 And Levi made him a great feast in his house, and there was a large company of tax collectors and others reclining at table with them. 30 And the Pharisees and their scribes grumbled at his disciples, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” 31 And Jesus answered them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 32 I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.”
When the miracle of the new birth happens (being born again), the newborn Christian begins to see with new spiritual eyes that they are not the primary sun in the universe. Instead, God awakens the Christian's senses to see that Jesus is the primary sun that is meant to shine most brightly.
We see from this text (and many others) that the Pharisees want to burn ever so brightly. They want to outshine God-- they will even kill the Jesus that threatens their self-glory. And Luke in this text gives us a picture of the fruit of that mindset (the mindset that is opposed to God). It produces grumbling, arrogance, a holier-than-thou mindset and heart, hatred, and discontentment. The very promise of pleasure that comes from more of me actually leads to severely destructive thoughts and attitudes.
As Henry mentioned in today's sermon, it is counter-intuitive to think and believe that as God increases and as we decrease, as He burns brighter and we dim our lights, that we actually become more content and happy (in Him). As we dim our lights, we begin to see and encounter the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. And we begin to see His richness, mercy, holiness. We see His majesty. We marvel at His beauty. We are filled with His love-- and extend a love that covers a multitude of sins (1 Peter 4:8).
And here in this text, Jesus makes a remarkable statement that He came not for those who will dig their heels into the ground for their own glory to shine most brightly, but for repentant sinners, broken and contrite hearts, and very needy people desperate for the Great Physician.