Thoughts for the Day

Jesus went out again beside the lake; the whole crowd gathered around him, and he taught them. As he was walking along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, 'Follow me.' And he got up and followed him.

And as he sat at dinner in Levi's house, many tax-collectors and sinners were also sitting with Jesus and his disciples - for there were many who followed him. When the scribes of the Pharisees saw that he was eating with sinners and tax-collectors, they said to his disciples, 'Why does he eat with tax-collectors and sinners?' When Jesus heard this, he said to them, 'Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick; I have come to call not the righteous but sinners.'

(Church in Wales Lectionary, New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

We may know this story so well that we have forgotten how totally amazing it is. Jesus called people to follow him! But look at whom he calls - Levi (Matthew) the tax-collector. Tax-collectors are the most hated men in Israel, because they work for the Romans, and to cap it all Jesus then eats with many others. No decent Jew would ever meet with such people, since it would make him unclean, and unable to worship.

What can we make of this incident today? Jesus worked with sinners, not the righteous. Well it's not very practical for us to go and work with those in prison, is it? But we can concentrate on another group who are breaking our laws (at least in the UK) with impunity. Who are they? I'm talking about those who believe that Covid 19 is a hoax and who won't wear masks; for those who won't stay socially distanced; and for those who drive miles to go for a walk. Finally, pray for yourself - after all you're not perfect, either!

Heavenly Father,
You call us to invite others
to learn about You,
and not to judge others,
but, today we pray for
those who break the Law
and put others at risk
during this pandemic,
and we pray that we
don't become insensible
to our own faults.
Amen.