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Mark 2:17
ESV And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners."
NIV On hearing this, Jesus said to them, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."
NASB And hearing this, Jesus *said to them, 'It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick; I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.'
CSB When Jesus heard this, he told them, "It is not those who are well who need a doctor, but those who are sick. I didn’t come to call the righteous, but sinners."
NLT When Jesus heard this, he told them, 'Healthy people don’t need a doctor — sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.'
KJV When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
NKJV When Jesus heard it, He said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”

What does Mark 2:17 mean?

We are not told whether Jesus directly answers the religious leaders or His followers, but it appears this answer is given to the disciples. Nor do we know when Jesus gives the answer, whether during the meal or after. The context is not clear. The focus is instead on the actual response Jesus provides.

The answer Jesus gives is an old proverb. A Jewish commentary to Exodus 15:26 reads, "If they are not sick, why do they need a physician?" By associating sickness to sinners and health to righteousness, Jesus continues the theme started when He forgave the paralytic of his sins first, and then healed him (Mark 2:1–11). God uses disease as both a punishment (Exodus 15:26) and a metaphor for sin. As a metaphor, sin destroys our healthy relationship with God as disease destroys our bodies. As a punishment, disease is a direct and indirect result of Adam and Eve's sin and our continued sin throughout history.

Jesus addresses physical disease for a short time while He is on earth, but He heals our sin-induced injuries now. Both physical sickness and sin-sickness draw us to Him. Jesus did not come to "call" righteous people, but rather sinful people, just as healthy people do not typically seek out a doctor. His words offer a double meaning in a sense. On one level, He explains His mission as a friend of sinners who comes to save lost people. However, Jesus also subtly rebukes the religious leaders who see themselves as righteous and without need of Jesus and the salvation He provides.
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