Mark 2:13-17 (New International Version, ©2010)
Jesus Calls Levi and Eats With Sinners
13 Once again Jesus went out beside the lake. A large crowd came to him, and he began to teach them. 14 As he walked along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax collector’s booth. “Follow me,” Jesus told him, and Levi got up and followed him. 15 While Jesus was having dinner at Levi’s house, many tax collectors and sinners were eating with him and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. 16 When the teachers of the law who were Pharisees saw him eating with the sinners and tax collectors, they asked his disciples: “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?”17 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.”
This always reminds me of my own sinfulness and the grace that has been given to me in and through Christ. It also reminds the risk Jesus takes knowing that this will once again bring the scorn of those who judge him and his message. This is a no win situation for Jesus and yet he does it because of his love for sinners. As I preapre for Haiti do I see myslef as the haelhty or the sick, good question for me to ponder. Last comment, I hope we may have a chance to share the gospel with those who still walk in darkness. I think we should be parying about this. We can build a great house but my greatest joy would be able to say we shared the gospel and people came to know him.
ReplyDeleteKen
When I read this... I'm totally a tax collector. I am a sinner. There is no getting around that, and Jesus is awesome enough to still want me even though I am who I am. In fact he wants me because I am who I am. Messes and all.
ReplyDeleteIt's important to realize that we all (Americans, Canadians and Haitians) are sinners and Jesus loves us all. And because God loves us we need to act in ways that glorify him especially when dealing with people who don't know His love.
I love it how Levi followed Jesus all the way to dinner at Levi's house. I tend to think of following as, Jesus out in front, and me playing "follow the leader"...over logs, under branches, through puddles... I go where Jesus goes first, right? Jesus tests the waters first, to make sure it's safe, then I follow, right? But how does Jesus end up at Levi's house, if Levi was following Jesus? Maybe following Jesus means actually walking side by side - talking, building a friendship and relationship - then of course, we'd invite Jesus over to stay a while, right? PS
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