“When Jesus heard this,
He said to them.
‘Those who are well
Have no need
Of a physician.
But those who are sick
Do need a physician.
I have come
To call
Not the righteous,
But sinners.’”
καὶ ἀκούσας ὁ Ἰησοῦς λέγει αὐτοῖς Οὐ χρείαν ἔχουσιν οἱ ἰσχύοντες ἰατροῦ ἀλλ’ οἱ κακῶς ἔχοντες· οὐκ ἦλθον καλέσαι δικαίους ἀλλὰ ἁμαρτωλούς.
Luke, chapter 5:31-32, and Matthew, chapter 9:12-13, are almost word for word similar to Mark, so that Mark might be the source of this saying. Mark said that Jesus heard (καὶ ἀκούσας ὁ Ἰησοῦς) what the Pharisees were saying to his disciples. He responded to them (λέγει αὐτοῖς) that the well people or strong ones do not need (Οὐ χρείαν ἔχουσιν οἱ ἰσχύοντες) a physician or medical doctor (ἰατροῦ), but the sick do (ἀλλ’ οἱ κακῶς ἔχοντες). As Pope Francis likes to say, the Church is a mobile ambulance, not a hospital waiting for people to come in. Jesus had come not to call the people who were righteous already (οὐκ ἦλθον καλέσαι δικαίους), but to call the sinners (ἀλλὰ ἁμαρτωλούς).
