A common misinterpretation is viewing Jesus' words as dismissing the righteous or implying they are beyond salvation, whereas he ironically critiques the self-proclaimed righteous Pharisees who fail to see their own sinfulness; others erroneously use the passage to justify continued sinning without repentance, ignoring the explicit call to change, or to promote unrestricted mingling with sinners without maintaining personal holiness or discernment in relationships.
Mark 2:17
King James Version (1769)
17 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.
Jesus employs the analogy of a physician to defend his association with tax collectors and sinners, asserting that those who consider themselves spiritually healthy have no need of him, whereas the sick—those aware of their sinfulness—do; thus, his purpose is to call sinners to repentance, underscoring that salvation is for the humble who recognize their need for God's forgiveness and transformation rather than the self-righteous who presume their own adequacy.