Hard Verses: Not Your Namby Pamby Bible Study. These Bible Verses Are Hard!

Hard Verses Episode 2: I came not to call the righteous, but the sinner... (Mark 2:17)   The Problem.   Upon first glance there are a few questions that come to mind. I thought that Jesus came to call everyone to repentance. John 3:16 and 17--That the world might be saved. God has called righteous men before. Noah (Gen. 6:9), (Job 1:1). I thought that evil communications corrupts good manners (1 Cor. 15:33). The problem from those first century Jews. The respected teacher of the law (Jesus) seemed to draw the undesirables. They asked the disciples, why is He hanging out with these people? Sinners? There was a problem with Jesus associating with Gentiles and Samaritans. Also when one calls sinners to associate and follow Him, that does not look like godly behavior.  Were they even changing their behavior?   The Solution.   Jesus came to die for all men so how it is that he is only calling the sinners and not the righteous. Many cases one could replace "righteous" with "self-righteous."