Mark 2:13-17 Attracting scum

After the healing Jesus in his preaching about the kingdom sees Levi, a tax collector. He calls Levi to follow him while he was sitting in his booth. What made Levi leave his income? Was he tired of feeling guilty for cheating others? For whatever reason, he leaves, seemingly without hesitation.

That night Levi throws a party where all his acquaintances are invited. The religious leaders aren’t at the front of the action. It sounds like they are outside looking in, and for good reason. They would never associate with “scum” as the NLT puts it. They want to be up front when teaching is being done so they can put their stamp of approval on it. But they will not taint themselves with the common riffraff. They want to make sure they stay above reproach.

So they talk to Jesus’ disciples. They want to know why Jesus is so willing to pollute himself with the seamier side of humanity. And with all the people who were attracted to Jesus, it wasn’t the religious people. When the religious leaders ask the disciples, they sound demeaning and shaming. 

Jesus apparently didn’t sound that way. Common undeserving people seemed comfortable with him. The gospels report these types of people coming to him and hanging around him, much to the consternation of the religious people.

When Jesus gets wind of the complaints he responds with a mission statement. People who are sick need a doctor. His desire was for wholeness. He points out that the mission statement of the religious leaders was for correctness, for compliance, for adherence. 

Jesus seems to make it clear here that he will go to where the need is realized. Levi leaves a possibly lucrative career. Why? Was he unsatisfied and there was something in Jesus’ gaze that told him there was a way out? There was hope? Whatever it was, he jumped in a life-changing way. The religious leaders had been around him for his entire life, and they had offered nothing that would make him change his ways.

And change his life it did!

Prayer: Keep me from the pride that separates the people who know it all from the people who don’t have it all together. Help me to not level judgments at anyone, but keep an open mind to who You have invited into the kingdom.