Religion is a crutch for the weak

How would Jesus respond to such a comment?


The Pharisees derided Jesus for spending time with tax collectors and sinners.

 "²⁹ Then Levi gave a great banquet for him in his house; and there was a large crowd of tax collectors and others sitting at the table^j with them. ³⁰The Pharisees and their scribes were complaining to his disciples, saying, "Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?" ³¹Jesus answered, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick; ³²I have come to call not the righteous but sinners to repentance." Luke 5:29-32

 Jesus basically answers the Pharisees with the same response, but he uses a person (physician) instead of an inanimate object (crutch). He is implying that he is the physician and that sinners (the sick) need his help.


I think that Jesus would agree with the "Religion is a crutch for the weak" comment because he really said it first. Jesus is the crutch or the doctor that lame and sick people need.


The passage from Luke shows that Jesus asks the pharisees to decide in their own hearts if they think they are among the righteous or among the sinners when he says,

"³²I have come to call not the righteous but sinners to repentance." Luke 5:32

He both gives information of the purpose of his ministry as well as allows his listeners to interpret who the categories of "sinners" and "righteous" belong to, instead of just saying "them" and "you". Jesus is hoping that his listeners will reanalyze their presuppositions and come to the truth that all his listeners are included within the category of "sinners".


Jesus would ask the same question after agreeing with the "religion is a crutch" comment. Asking something like,

"Are you among the weak or among the strong?"