The Pharisees saw any interaction with the tax collectors, the greatest of sinners and friends of Gentiles, as making one ritually unclean (see Luke 18:11), in their interpretation of the purification laws.
Jesus broke with the practice of the Pharisees in that they regarded any interaction with the tax collectors, the greatest of sinners and friends of Gentiles, as making one ritually unclean (see Luke 18:11). Here too Jesus’ actions, however, testify to the grace of God towards sinners.1
The tax collectors, rejected by the Jews, found friends among those sinners who consciously lived worldly lives, rejecting both the statutes of the Pharisees as well as the Law of Moses in its entirety. They are welcomed by Jesus and his disciples as people in need of hearing the gospel. For the Jews, however, this association with sinners was contemptible.2
The Pharisees specifically rejected associating with the tax collectors and their sinner friends because these people refused to observe the purification laws, dietary laws, and the laws regarding tithes. Consequently, participating in such a meal with them would make one unclean. This view should not be confused with having social disdain for a segment of the population but was rather rooted in a religious fervor regarding the purification laws.3
11 Les pharisiens virent cela, et ils dirent à ses disciples: Pourquoi votre maître mange-t-il avec les publicains et les gens de mauvaise vie?