Of Love, Compassion, Grace and Forgiveness

Scriptures

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." Mark 2:13-17


Observation
- Levi was also known as Matthew, one of the 12 disciples who later wrote the book of Matthew. Jesus saw him and with great authority, called Levi to follow him. As a tax collector, Levi was hated by the fellow Jews as tax collectors amassed richness from his collections.

- The self-righteous Pharisees condemned Jesus for eating with the sinners. Jesus heard their accusations and stood up for himself.

- Here, I can see Jesus' mission here and his heart for the people. Indeed, God loves ALL even the "sinners", poor, sick and the widows. His love and compassion knows no skin colour, social status, sins of men. He is here to "save", to "heal" the sinners.

- There is bravery here. Jesus' love compels Him to move into the enemies camp. What the normal eyes see as "dirty" and "lowly", Jesus regards them as precious as gems.

- Jesus has not come to segregate the good and the bad but His main mission is to redeem/save ALL who believes/has yet to believe in Him. His love and compassion are the very things that draw all mankind to him. There is great humility in Jesus.

- Imagine if Jesus did not chose Matthew (who was then a "sinner"), there will never be a disciple to be added into the 12. Matthew will not be a living witness to Jesus' life stories and hence, we will not be able to know Jesus as the book of Matthew will never be written.

- It is because of Jesus who accepts and forgive us of our sins, we are able to accept our past and break the yoke of "sins" through the power of the Holy spirit.


Application
- I will obey you, to follow your ways.


Prayers
- Lord God, I pray for wisdom. Let the core of my concern comes from love and compassion for my fellow friends who are not walking in the ways of the Lord. Indeed, Jesus has not come to call the righteous but the "sinners". Indeed, it is the sick that needs the doctor.