The Word of God
After this he went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax booth; and he said to him, "Follow me." And he got up, left everything, and followed him. Then Levi gave a great banquet for him in his house; and there was a large crowd of tax collectors and others sitting at the table with them. The Pharisees and their scribes were complaining to his disciples, saying, "Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?" Jesus answered, "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 to repentance."
Luke 5:27-32
Some thoughts on today's scripture
ActiveDefault- Tax-collectors were the most despised of people. But Jesus challenges the prejudices of his day. He calls Levi (St Matthew) and awakens him to his human potential and dignity. Matthew leaves the money-table to sit with Jesus at the banqueting table of forgiveness. Mercy is at the heart of Jesus’ mission.
- Lord, your outreach towards sinners consoles me. Forgive me for the times when I am swayed by prejudice, when I judge, despise or exclude others. I want to be at your table no matter who else is there! Grant me the grace to respond to your call – to follow you wherever you lead.
Some thoughts on today's scripture
ActiveDefault- Make this dramatic scene alive for yourself by imagining Jesus coming to where you are right now: he stands in front of you, speaks your name lovingly and says: ‘Follow me!’ What goes on in your heart and how do you respond? Do you invite him in at least for a simple meal, if not a banquet?
- Every time I meet the Lord in prayer I am being invited to come closer to him. Prayer is an encounter with God: if not, it is still only reflection, no matter how pious. It may often only seem like an encounter with silence, but that is enough: divine silence does not mean divine absence. God is the all-embracing, unobtrusive and loving presence in my life..
Some thoughts on today's scripture
ActiveDefault- Who Jesus eats and drinks with is a distraction from what his mission is – to call us into a change of life. When we are focussed on Jesus, we can eat and drink with anyone. If we focus on Jesus nobody can take away what is best in life - his love and his word. We can invite anyone into our prayer and allow prayer be a time of healing and forgiveness.
Some thoughts on today's scripture
ActiveDefault- The call to follow the way of Jesus involves commitment and trust. Levi, a man considered to be a religious outcast, responds totally to this call by walking away from his way of living, to follow Jesus. How is this possible?. Perhaps its because Jesus calls Levi’s name with love, forgiveness and complete acceptance. When Levi is called with love, he responds with love.
- Jesus ‘noticed’ Levi sitting by the customs house. How often do we notice those who ‘are sick and need a doctor’. Those who are in need of healing rather than judgment, through a kind word; a listening ear; a smile or just some encouragement
Some thoughts on today's scripture
ActiveDefault- Where are the Levis in my world? The drug-pushers, paedophiles, wife-batterers, rapists, those who cheat on tax or social welfare, those who are headlined for hatred in the tabloid press. Lord, these are the sick who need you as physician. Can I help you to reach out to them?
- In prayer we know our place before God. We know we are needy, all of us in different ways. We need the physician for the weakness and ills of the spirit, as well as needing the doctor for the ills of the body. Jesus can enter our lives only if we know that we deep down really need him - otherwise he would not have come. He looks out always for the space in our personalities which need strength, healing, forgiveness. In prayer let your eyes meet his - and receive the light of strength, healing and forgiveness.
- Tax collectors seem to have been collectors of individual taxes through tolls, with agents sitting at tax booths collecting monies on behalf of the imperial authorities. Religiously committed citizens scorned them. Jesus refers, ironically, to the scribes and Pharisees as 'righteous' whereas Jesus is the 'doctor' who brings true righteousness (union with God) through his teaching and healings. Self-righteousness is not confined to people who lived at the time of Christ!
- I need never feel unworthy of being in the presence of Jesus; I can be all the more ready to receive his word when I know my need. It was for the needy that he came, finding a home among the poor.
- The Pharisees strove to live good lives but went astray when they used their own lives as the measure against which to judge everyone else. How judgemental am I if I notice others who have gone astray - as I see it? I pray for compassion and quietly ask for God’s blessing for those in need.
Some thoughts on today's scripture
ActiveDefault- Before Jesus ever arrived on earth, there were different opinions regarding what the Saviour or Messiah might be like: one particular thought was that he was coming to settle accounts with wrong-doers, to bring judgment and correction. But then Jesus did arrive, and – while not omitting warnings and reprimands – he assured us that he was here to bring healing to broken humanity: This explains today’s statement, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick”.
- This also explains the outreach of Jesus towards individuals like Matthew/Levi the publican – who had ‘gone over’ to the occupying power of Rome, as collector of the public taxes; or towards individuals whose religious observances fell short; or towards those whose lives were marked by moral lapses. To them all, Jesus was throwing open the gates of welcome – throwing a party, if you like. Maybe this party is the wider background to the banquet being held in Levi’s house.
- Of course, Jesus often talked not only about banquets or receptions or parties – he also about invited quests who wouldn’t bother to come. But Levi is a kind of ‘model invitee’: when Jesus extended the invitation to be of his company, Levi’s response was instantaneous.
Some thoughts on today's scripture
ActiveDefault- “Who?…me?” Levi, a despised tax collector for the hated Romans, must have been astonished that Jesus should want him as a disciple.
- Are you seated at your table just now? Hear Jesus knock, asking “May I come in?”
- Or sit at table in Levi’s house and join in the great banquet with Jesus and all the other guests. How much Jesus loved to socialise at meals, to meet people where they are most at home or in places of joyful nourishment!
Some thoughts on today's scripture
ActiveDefault- Who today would be in Matthew’s position? Who are the Levis in our world, hated and despised by the public? Not the tax collectors: it is quite respectable now to work for Internal Revenue. The tabloid newspapers have different hate-objects today: druggies, rapists, paedophiles. You would sit with them, Lord. They too need your grace.
Some thoughts on today's scripture
ActiveDefault- Tax collectors were despised: they were social and religious outcasts. Why then does Jesus choose Levi out of all possible candidates? Because he is determined to break down dramatically the barriers which fragment human community.
- The banquet indicates ‘table fellowship’: eating and drinking together shows that the guests accept one another. Since Jesus is the main guest, we are shown that if we want to be with him at table, we must accept the companionship of people we had despised. At the Eucharist, Jesus invites everyone to participate, not simply as individuals but as fellow-disciples who are both sinners and forgiven. Do I ‘complain’ about this?
Some thoughts on today's scripture
ActiveDefault- Who Jesus eats and drinks with is a distraction from what his mission is – to call us into a change of life. When we are focussed on Jesus, we can eat and drink with anyone. We can invite anyone into our prayer, and allow prayer be a time of healing and forgiveness.
Some thoughts on today's scripture
ActiveDefault- For Levi - or Matthew - the tax-collector, following Jesus meant leaving ‘everything’ - job, home, security. Jesus does not ask this of everyone. What does ‘following him’ mean for me?
- Those who are satisfied with the way they are do not need Jesus. They feel no need of repentance or change. They are not listening to his call, ‘Follow me’. Am I?
Some thoughts on today's scripture
ActiveDefault- Tax-collectors were the most despised of people. But Jesus challenges the prejudices of his day. He calls Levi (St Matthew) and awakens him to his human potential and dignity. Matthew leaves the money-table to sit with Jesus at the banqueting table of forgiveness. Mercy is at the heart of Jesus’ mission.
- Lord, your outreach towards sinners consoles me. Forgive me for the times when I am swayed by prejudice, when I judge, despise or exclude others. I want to be at your table no matter who else is there! Grant me the grace to respond to your call – to follow you wherever you lead.