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 at 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.’

(Lectionary, New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

Sometimes we don't hear God calling. At other times we don't want to hear, Him, or perhaps we're too happy doing our own thing and feel we can't fit Him into our plans. How wrong can we be! This story comes to mind:

'A man who felt he didn't have time for God was given a big glass jar by his minister and asked if he could fill it with golf balls. Thinking it strange, he did so. "It's full," he said, complacently. The minister smiled and handed him a bag of marbles. "Try again!" she said. The man carefully added the marbles, finding they slid between the spaces. "Now it's full," he said. The minister smiled, and handed him a container of sand. "Try again", she said. The sand was added to the jar until it reached the top with all space filled. "Now it really is full," he said. The minister said nothing, but handed him a jug of water. "Try once more!" was all she said. To his amazement the water kept on going into the jar.. The minister smiled at the man's amazement. "Perhaps," she said, "it might be easier for us to start with God first in our life. It won't stop us having a good life - He just fills up the gaps and makes us whole."

In our reading for today, Levi (or Matthew as we believe him to be), had a good job working for the Romans, but he was hated by other Jews because he worked for the enemy. However, there was something missing in his life, which Jesus was to fill.

Lord Jesus,
when we feel as though
we cannot give You more time,
or when Your call is inconvenient
help us to realise that
it is You who fills up the gaps in our life.
It is You that fulfills us as Christians,
and that all else is empty space.
Amen.