Word@Work 019 - Mark 2:13-17
Published: Thu, 12/06/07
Word@Work from BeaconLight
Read Mark 2:13-17 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." (NIV)
It seems logical that a perfect God would choose the best people to serve Him. However, that logic is weak. As perfection is an absolute quality, logically a perfect God would demand only perfect servants. Put it another way, as nobody is perfect except God, why should He choose anyone at all, except the angels?
In this narrative, Jesus chose dishonest Levi (Matthew), and then hosted his leaving party surrounded by those whose morals and integrity were in tatters. The religious leaders asked the obvious question, "Why?" Why should one who claims to be the representative of heavenly perfection, soil himself with corrupted people? This must prove that He is not God.
How sad that well mannered, clean living people should be confused by the behaviour of the Saviour. They did not understand that the Lord Jesus had not come to applaud respectable Israel, any more than He now intends to give prizes to the moral majority in middle England. He told them plainly that He came to call sick people and make them well; immoral people and make them righteous; sinners and turn them into saints. That is the grace of the gospel in which Jesus personally took our dirt in order to make us clean.
Alas too many Christians are still impregnated by old-fashioned religion. We have high faith that the nice person will be converted yet low expectation for the office gossip, the violent customer or the embezzling clerk. That is not the way Jesus would think!
Why not treat each meeting, phone call or e-mail today as if the Lord Jesus is calling your client, employee or boss? Next month or next year that person could be your brother or sister in Christ. How you treat the sinner depends on whether you think they might be saved one day!
Prayer: Gracious Father, in Your mercy You called me and saved me. Give me the eyes and ears of faith to see that You are calling the most unlikely into Your service and help me to cooperate with what You are doing. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
You can read more of this Bible passage online - in English and other languages - share the Bible with your friends!
It seems logical that a perfect God would choose the best people to serve Him. However, that logic is weak. As perfection is an absolute quality, logically a perfect God would demand only perfect servants. Put it another way, as nobody is perfect except God, why should He choose anyone at all, except the angels?
In this narrative, Jesus chose dishonest Levi (Matthew), and then hosted his leaving party surrounded by those whose morals and integrity were in tatters. The religious leaders asked the obvious question, "Why?" Why should one who claims to be the representative of heavenly perfection, soil himself with corrupted people? This must prove that He is not God.
How sad that well mannered, clean living people should be confused by the behaviour of the Saviour. They did not understand that the Lord Jesus had not come to applaud respectable Israel, any more than He now intends to give prizes to the moral majority in middle England. He told them plainly that He came to call sick people and make them well; immoral people and make them righteous; sinners and turn them into saints. That is the grace of the gospel in which Jesus personally took our dirt in order to make us clean.
Alas too many Christians are still impregnated by old-fashioned religion. We have high faith that the nice person will be converted yet low expectation for the office gossip, the violent customer or the embezzling clerk. That is not the way Jesus would think!
Why not treat each meeting, phone call or e-mail today as if the Lord Jesus is calling your client, employee or boss? Next month or next year that person could be your brother or sister in Christ. How you treat the sinner depends on whether you think they might be saved one day!
Prayer: Gracious Father, in Your mercy You called me and saved me. Give me the eyes and ears of faith to see that You are calling the most unlikely into Your service and help me to cooperate with what You are doing. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
You can read more of this Bible passage online - in English and other languages - share the Bible with your friends!
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