Luke 5:32
“I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”
King James Version (KJV)
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Read Full Chapter →Context
Jesus speaks these words in response to Pharisees who criticized Him for eating with tax collectors and sinners at the feast hosted by Levi, the newly called disciple.
What Does Luke 5:32 Mean?
Jesus states plainly here why He came: to call sinners to repentance. He says this after being criticized for eating with tax collectors and others viewed as sinners. Using the image of a physician who comes to the sick rather than the healthy (Luke 5:31), Jesus explains that His mission is aimed precisely at those who know they need help.
The contrast between "the righteous" and "sinners" carries gentle irony. Jesus is not saying that some people have no need of Him; rather, He is responding to those who considered themselves righteous and looked down on others. Those who imagine they are spiritually healthy feel no need for the physician. But those who recognize their sin and need are exactly the ones Jesus came to reach. The call is to repentance -- a real turning of heart and life toward God. This is why Jesus welcomed tax collectors and shared meals with outsiders: not to ignore sin, but to call people away from it and toward restoration. The verse is both an invitation and a gentle warning. It invites everyone who knows their need to come to Christ. And it warns against the self-satisfaction that keeps a person from seeing that need at all. The door is open wide to all who will admit they are sinners in need of grace.
In the Original Language
The verb kaleo means "to call, invite, summon." Metanoia (repentance) means a change of mind and heart that turns a person back toward God.
Cross References
“And Jesus answering said unto them, They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick.”
- Luke 5:31
“For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.”
- Luke 19:10
“This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.”
- 1 Timothy 1:15
Application
Admit your need for grace rather than trusting your own righteousness, and answer Christ's call to turn toward God.
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