Jesus Remembered: Christianity in the Making, vol. 1

§13.5 For Whom Did Jesus Intend His Message?
A striking fact emerges from all this: that the language used in criticism of
Jesus strongly reflects the polemical and factional use of the term elsewhere attested
among Jesus' contemporaries. Most notable is the antithesis between 'righteous'
and 'sinners' (Mark 2.17 pars.), reflected also in Luke's conclusion to the
parable of the lost sheep (Luke 15.7) and in his parable of the Pharisee and the tollcollector
(18.9, 14). 200 The conclusion lies close to hand that Jesus was criticised
by some who regarded themselves as properly law-observant ('righteous') and that
he was criticised for associating with those whom 'the righteous'deemed to be 'sinners',
that is, those who disregarded or disputed interpretations of the Torah held
dear by 'the righteous' (sadikkim). In other words, the sentiment of Mark 2.17c fits
remarkably closely into a context typified by the Enochic corpus, the Dead Sea
Scrolls, and the Psalms of Solomon. As we noted earlier (§9.4), the same literature
also indicates the likelihood that Pharisees were heavily involved in such factional
disputes. It must be judged very likely, then, that the critics of Jesus were indeed
typically Pharisees (whose standpoint the Psalms of Solomon probably reflects
most closely), and that it was indeed they who used the term 'sinners' in criticising
Jesus' association with those deemed law-breakers by such Pharisees. 201
In which case we should also note that in Mark 2.17 Jesus is not remembered
as disputing the righteousness of the Pharisaic critics. As the saying stands,
'the righteous' in 2.17c correspond to 'those who are in good health' in 2.17b. 202
Even if at this point 'righteous' is as much a factional term as 'sinner', it is not
the self-assertion of righteousness which Jesus here questions, 203 only the use of
the pejorative 'sinner'. Nor does Jesus deny that the epithet is often justified:
'sinners' are equivalent to 'the sick'; he himself called for repentance (§13.2a);
in the parable of the Pharisee and the toll-collector, the latter confesses that he is
200. Note also the use of dikaioö in Matt. 11.19/Luke 7.35; Luke 16.15; and cf. Matt.
21.32.
201. Even when hamartölos is used in a non-factional context (Luke 5.8; 6.32-34; 7.37,
39; 13.2; 15.7, 10; 18.13) a dismissive (even self-dismissive) overtone is clear. 'Sinner' could
sometimes be used to describe a prostitute, as implied in Matt. 21.31 (where 'prostitutes' replaces
the more common 'sinners' in the association with toll-collectors) and Luke 7.37, 39. On
Jesus' attitude to law-breaking see below, §14.4.
202. Cf. the affirmation given to the ninety-nine who do not need to repent in the parable
of the lost sheep (Luke 15.7) and to the elder brother in the parable of the prodigal son (Luke
15.31). Elsewhere in the Jesus tradition the term 'righteous' (dikaios) is used positively, and not
only by Matthew (Mark 6.20; Matt. 1.19; 10.41; 13.17, 43, 49; 23.29, 35; 25.46; Luke 1.6, 17;
2.25; 14.14; 23.47, 50), though it is noteworthy that not one of the instances is paralleled in a
second Gospel. Given this feature of the data, McKnight is unwise to put as much weight on it
as he does (New Vision 200-206).
203. We may ask whether Jesus criticizes the assertion of self-righteousness even in
Luke 18.11-12, since a parallel like 1QH 15[= 7].26-35 suggests an attitude of gratitude more
than of pride (Borg, Conflict 107-108).
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