11节中的“法利赛人”——自以为义的人,跟以西结书33:13中的“义人”一样,这些人在“祭祀”方面很守规矩,以为自己这样做就是“义人”了,但耶稣告诫他们,他们的内心是冷酷的,且完全没有意识到自己的罪。
10
耶稣在屋里坐席的时候,有好些税吏和罪人来,与耶稣和他的门徒一同坐席。
11
法利赛人看见,就对耶稣的门徒说,你们的先生为什么和税吏并罪人一同吃饭呢?
12
耶稣听见,就说,康健的人用不着医生,有病的人才用得着。
13
经上说,我喜爱怜恤,不喜爱祭祀。这句话的意思,你们且去揣摩。我来,本不是召义人,乃是召罪人。
9:13 “Now go learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice’ ” (πορευθέντες δὲ μάθετε τί ἐσχιν, Ἔλεος θέλω καὶ οὐ θυσίαν). “Go [for this circumstantial participle, see on v. 9] and learn” was a rabbinic expression for Torah study, and in the context of the Pharisees who prided themselves on their knowledge of Scripture, it is a particularly powerful comeback. Since they call Jesus “teacher” (9:11), he will give them a “learning” assignment! Jesus takes his text from Hos 6:6 (quoted again in 12:7). In Hosea the apostate nation still followed the letter of the law (sacrifice) but had forgotten the heart of the law (mercy and love). Jesus is saying the Pharisees are recapitulating the same terrible error.
“Mercy” (ἔλεος, first for emphasis) in Hosea translates the Hebrew ḥesed or “steadfast love,” the very thing the Pharisees lack (see Matt 23). They are assiduous in their covenant observance, even making up new “oral laws” so the common people will not inadvertently break the Torah. But they have no feelings of mercy toward the outcasts of society. A major NT ethic is that the way we treat others shows our true relation to God. By failing to have a heart of mercy toward sinners, the Pharisees show they are not right with God.
9:13 “For I have not come to call the righteous but sinners” (οὐ γὰρ ἦλθον καλέσαι δικαίους ἀλλὰ ἁμαρτωλούς). As in v. 12, this means, “I have not come to call those who claim they are righteous but those who know they are sinners.” It is closely connected to the forgiveness of the sins of the paralytic in 9:2 and shows that personal salvation is a major theme here. The “call” is a call to salvation and discipleship; Luke 5:32 adds “to repentance,” the basis for discipleship.
This does not mean that Jesus is not interested in the salvation of the Pharisees. We can see the challenge and progress to salvation of one of them, Nicodemus, in John 3:1–15; 7:50–51; 19:39–42. Rather, it means Jesus’ ministry is one of salvation, and therefore the sinners are his focus; yet the necessary goal of salvation in this life is discipleship. There is a sardonic (adj. 讽刺的;嘲笑的,冷笑的)challenge to the self-righteousness of the Pharisees, but it is muted.
Osborne, G. R. (2010). Matthew (Vol. 1, pp. 336–338). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.