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In Christ, Mark
In Christ, Mark
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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
As Jesus went on from there, He saw a man named Matthew
sitting at the tax collector's booth. "Follow Me," He told him, and
Matthew got up and followed Him.
While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew's house, many tax collectors and "sinners" came and ate with Him and His disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they asked His disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and 'sinners'?"
On hearing this, Jesus said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."
Matthew 9:9-13
While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew's house, many tax collectors and "sinners" came and ate with Him and His disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they asked His disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and 'sinners'?"
On hearing this, Jesus said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."
Matthew 9:9-13
Once again Jesus went out beside the lake. A large crowd
came to Him, and He began to teach them.
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.
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. 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?”
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.”
Mark 2:13-17
After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector by the
name of Levi sitting at his tax booth. “Follow me,” Jesus said to him, and Levi
got up, left everything and followed Him.
Then Levi held a great banquet for Jesus at his house,
and a large crowd of tax collectors and others were eating with them. But the
Pharisees and the teachers of the law who belonged to their sect complained to
His disciples, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?”
Jesus answered them, “It is not the healthy who need a
doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to
repentance.”
Luke 5:27-32
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
Question: Who do you feel most comfortable being around? Family? Friends? Co-workers?
We all have that comfort zone, don’t we? A place where we feel most at ease, a place where we seem to always seek out and hang out with whomever we’re most comfortable being with.
As we look at today’s passage from the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, it’s important to note that people had their comfort zones back in New Testament times too. As we will see, those who considered themselves righteous, or self righteous in the case of the Jewish religious authorities, would hang out together but wouldn’t be caught dead associating with a Gentile, essentially anyone who wasn’t Jewish, or anyone else they considered a sinner or unclean for that matter. They wouldn’t think to fellowship with “those” types of people.
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
Question: Who do you feel most comfortable being around? Family? Friends? Co-workers?
We all have that comfort zone, don’t we? A place where we feel most at ease, a place where we seem to always seek out and hang out with whomever we’re most comfortable being with.
As we look at today’s passage from the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, it’s important to note that people had their comfort zones back in New Testament times too. As we will see, those who considered themselves righteous, or self righteous in the case of the Jewish religious authorities, would hang out together but wouldn’t be caught dead associating with a Gentile, essentially anyone who wasn’t Jewish, or anyone else they considered a sinner or unclean for that matter. They wouldn’t think to fellowship with “those” types of people.
Today, we do much of the same thing, it’s just who we
choose to disassociate from varies from person to person. For example, how
welcome would a murderer be in the midst of a group of people? How about a sex
offender? A prostitute?
Typically, these people wouldn’t be at the top of anyone’s list when it comes to comfortably sharing fellowship. They are labeled as being evil people who should stay away from those who are law abiding and respecting, and stay away they usually do for through being shunned by society, many who have committed criminal acts and have been released end up reoffending. They feel more accepted incarcerated than they do free. I know because I worked with many ex-offenders in my line of work.
Typically, these people wouldn’t be at the top of anyone’s list when it comes to comfortably sharing fellowship. They are labeled as being evil people who should stay away from those who are law abiding and respecting, and stay away they usually do for through being shunned by society, many who have committed criminal acts and have been released end up reoffending. They feel more accepted incarcerated than they do free. I know because I worked with many ex-offenders in my line of work.
It’s a sad testimony as to what we have become as a
people, easily picking and choosing who we accept and reject. Perhaps we all
need to ponder one simple question:
What would Jesus do?
In today’s scripture passages, we find the answer. Look
again at these accounts from the three gospels:
As Jesus went on
from there, He saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector's booth.
"Follow Me," He told him, and Matthew got up and followed Him.
While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew's house, many tax collectors and "sinners" came and ate with Him and His disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they asked His disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and 'sinners'?"
On hearing this, Jesus said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners." Matthew 9:9-13
While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew's house, many tax collectors and "sinners" came and ate with Him and His disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they asked His disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and 'sinners'?"
On hearing this, Jesus said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners." Matthew 9:9-13
Once again Jesus
went out beside the lake. A large crowd came to Him, and He began to teach
them.
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.
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. 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?”
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.” Mark 2:13-17
After this, Jesus
went out and saw a tax collector by the name of Levi sitting at his tax booth. “Follow
me,” Jesus said to him, and Levi got up, left everything and followed Him.
Then Levi held a
great banquet for Jesus at his house, and a large crowd of tax collectors and
others were eating with them. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law who
belonged to their sect complained to His disciples, “Why do you eat and drink with
tax collectors and sinners?”
Jesus answered
them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come
to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” Luke 5:27-32
You’ll recall from yesterday’s devotion that Jesus had just returned to Capernaum where He healed and forgave the sins of a paralytic in the midst of a great audience which included Pharisees and teachers of the law. It was after He had finished this that He is walking beside the lake and teaching the crowd that was with Him. Along the way, He came upon a man named Matthew (also Levi) sitting at tax collector’s booth. Jesus’ words to the man mimicked the words He had spoken to Peter, Andrew, James, and John earlier when He recruited them as disciples:
You’ll recall from yesterday’s devotion that Jesus had just returned to Capernaum where He healed and forgave the sins of a paralytic in the midst of a great audience which included Pharisees and teachers of the law. It was after He had finished this that He is walking beside the lake and teaching the crowd that was with Him. Along the way, He came upon a man named Matthew (also Levi) sitting at tax collector’s booth. Jesus’ words to the man mimicked the words He had spoken to Peter, Andrew, James, and John earlier when He recruited them as disciples:
“Follow Me.”
And the scriptures tell us that Matthew (Levi) did just that.
And the scriptures tell us that Matthew (Levi) did just that.
Now before we go on any further, it’s important to note
that Matthew (Levi) was a tax collector and there were few others hated more in
the Jewish New Testament society than tax collectors.
Why?
Well for starters, they were pretty much worked for the Romans who had control of Israel and oppressed the Israelite population with severe taxation, revenue that the tax collectors had to gather from their own people. But if this weren’t bad enough, many of the tax collectors allowed the sin of greed to afflict them and collected more than what the Romans demanded so they could pocket the difference for themselves. As a result, many tax collectors ended up with wealth by essentially stealing from their own people and this is why they were so despised.
Armed with this knowledge, let go back to the scriptures where we find the newly selected disciple, Matthew (Levi), holding a “great banquet for Jesus at his house”, a banquet attended by a large crowd of fellow tax collectors among others which included Jesus’ disciples.
Why?
Well for starters, they were pretty much worked for the Romans who had control of Israel and oppressed the Israelite population with severe taxation, revenue that the tax collectors had to gather from their own people. But if this weren’t bad enough, many of the tax collectors allowed the sin of greed to afflict them and collected more than what the Romans demanded so they could pocket the difference for themselves. As a result, many tax collectors ended up with wealth by essentially stealing from their own people and this is why they were so despised.
Armed with this knowledge, let go back to the scriptures where we find the newly selected disciple, Matthew (Levi), holding a “great banquet for Jesus at his house”, a banquet attended by a large crowd of fellow tax collectors among others which included Jesus’ disciples.
Well, this didn’t sit well with the Pharisees and
teachers of the law who complained to Jesus’ disciples while asking:
“Why does your
teacher eat with tax collectors and 'sinners'?"
In other words, they wanted to know why Jesus would associate with “those” kinds of people.
In other words, they wanted to know why Jesus would associate with “those” kinds of people.
Before the disciples could form a response, Jesus answers
the question, directly addressing the Jewish religious leaders saying:
“It is not the
healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous,
but sinners to repentance.”
I wonder how the Pharisees felt after Jesus spoke those
words. My gut is that they didn’t get it, for the Lord’s wisdom would have been
lost in translation to them.
You see, Jesus wanted the Pharisees and teachers of the law (as well as all of us today) to know that we’re not to simply be hanging around with those who are considered holy or righteous or deemed acceptable by our society. Rather, we’re expected to get out of our comfort zone and bring the good news to the marginalized and the outcast, to those who have been shut out and shunned by society.
You see, Jesus wanted the Pharisees and teachers of the law (as well as all of us today) to know that we’re not to simply be hanging around with those who are considered holy or righteous or deemed acceptable by our society. Rather, we’re expected to get out of our comfort zone and bring the good news to the marginalized and the outcast, to those who have been shut out and shunned by society.
Jesus certainly didn’t avoid them. For how else might
they change and become more like Him otherwise?
Friends, this passage challenges us and is meant to cause self reflection. For it stirs our very souls to respond as Jesus responded, to fellowship with those others would shun even if we have to move beyond our comfort zone to carry out His will.
Just think about what’s at stake? Isn’t it the very souls of those who may have went astray and fell into the clutches of Satan, the evil one, surrendering to his wicked urgings? If no one chose to associate with them and share the gospel message, how will they come to know Jesus and find their way to the salvation He brings?
Friends, this passage challenges us and is meant to cause self reflection. For it stirs our very souls to respond as Jesus responded, to fellowship with those others would shun even if we have to move beyond our comfort zone to carry out His will.
Just think about what’s at stake? Isn’t it the very souls of those who may have went astray and fell into the clutches of Satan, the evil one, surrendering to his wicked urgings? If no one chose to associate with them and share the gospel message, how will they come to know Jesus and find their way to the salvation He brings?
So in closing I ask, “Who do you associate with?”
After today’s scripture and its associated devotion, my prayer is that you’ll reevaluate yourself and the way you approach others. I hope you might ask, “What would Jesus do?”, and then model your actions accordingly while you remember that “it is not the healthy who need a doctor but the sick”.
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk@aol.com
After today’s scripture and its associated devotion, my prayer is that you’ll reevaluate yourself and the way you approach others. I hope you might ask, “What would Jesus do?”, and then model your actions accordingly while you remember that “it is not the healthy who need a doctor but the sick”.
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk@aol.com
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