Jesus was very intentional about relating to and reaching those who were marginalized by society, especially by the religious leaders of their day.

Now the Pharisees and their scribes were grumbling against Jesus' disciples, saying, Why are you eating and drinking with tax collectors and [preeminently] sinful people? And Jesus replied to them, It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to arouse and invite and call the righteous, but the erring ones (those not free from sin) to repentance [to change their minds for the better and heartily to amend their ways, with abhorrence of their past sins].

(Luke 5:30-32 AMPC)

Why did Jesus say that He did not come to call the “righteous?” Because scripture teaches…

As it is written, None is righteous, just and truthful and upright and conscientious, no, not one. [Psa_14:3]

(Romans 3:10 AMPC)

The very religious leaders who were accusing Jesus of eating and drinking with “sinful people,” were sinful people themselves. They were the worst kind of sinful people, those that were not able to see or acknowledge their sinfulness.

Jesus said to them, If you were blind, you would have no sin; but because you now claim to have sight, your sin remains. [If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but because you insist, We do see clearly, you are unable to escape your guilt.]

(John 9:41 AMPC)

Jesus taught over and over again against pride and for humility.

For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled (ranked below others who are honored or rewarded), and he who humbles himself (keeps a modest opinion of himself and behaves accordingly) will be exalted (elevated in rank).

(Luke 14:11 AMPC)

He told parable after parable that illustrated that religiosity at the expense of humility was a great danger. Self-righteousness was one of the greatest evils in Jesus’ teaching. The quotation above is from one of His parables about a tax collector (perceived traitor) and a religious guy (Pharisee).

“He also told this parable to some people who trusted in themselves and were confident that they were righteous [that they were upright and in right standing with God] and scorned and made nothing of all the rest of men: Two men went up into the temple [enclosure] to pray, the one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee took his stand ostentatiously and began to pray thus before and with himself: God, I thank You that I am not like the rest of men--extortioners (robbers), swindlers [unrighteous in heart and life], adulterers--or even like this tax collector here. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I gain.

But the tax collector, [merely] standing at a distance, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but kept striking his breast, saying, O God, be favorable (be gracious, be merciful) to me, the especially wicked sinner that I am! I tell you, this man went down to his home justified (forgiven and made upright and in right standing with God), rather than the other man; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

(Luke 18:9-14 AMPC)

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