“And Jesus went forth again to the seaside
, and all the multitude came to Him, and He taught them. And when He was passing by, He saw Levi the son of Alpheus sitting at the receipt of custom; and He saith to him: Follow Me. And rising up, he followed Him. And it came to pass, that as he sat at meat in his house, many publicans and sinners sat down together with Jesus and His disciples. For they were many, who also followed Him. And the scribes and the Pharisees, seeing that He ate with publicans and sinners, said to His disciples: Why doth your Master eat and drink with publicans and sinners? Jesus hearing this, saith to them: They that are well, have no need of a physician, but they that are sick. For I came not to call the just, but sinners.”
My dearest beloved brethren, what transpired in this today’s Bible reading defines the divinity of Jesus; it shows why Jesus is God. When Jesus went to Levi’s house, He sat at the table with the publicans and sinners, mixed up with them, and had some talk with them as they ate and drank. Remember that the publicans are the tax collectors who took bribes and made profits out of ordinary poor people’s sweat and they were hated by society.
In our world today, some communities would have ostracized these publicans and the sinners which were why the scribes and the Pharisees who looked at Jesus as a holy person were shocked to see Jesus eat and drink with these tax collectors and the sinners. But Jesus knowing what they were thinking said to them: “I come not to call the just, but sinners.”
I pray for us to have the grace to accept and accommodate everyone, for our acceptance of them whom society sees as wayward, crooks, and sinners may be the only way they could be saved; and also may God grant us the Grace to know those who are really out to kill and destroy us and our family members so that we will distance ourselves from them and don’t give Satan the slightest opportunity, through the Mighty Name of Jesus Christ I pray. Amen.
People of all sorts of backgrounds will continue to listen to you when you speak because of the power of Christ radiating from you as a child of God, and your personality and your Christlike manners will continue to bring them, both rich and poor closer to God, dear God’s people who strive for righteousness.
Levi was a very wealthy man. He was stinkingly rich. He was a tax collector at the customs department’s gate. Levi, as a tax collector in a busy trading center, serving the detested Roman authorities, would have been hated by his fellow Jews. We marvel at the power of Jesus’ call and the instant positive response of Levi, who abandons everything to follow Jesus.
How many wealthy people in our world today will listen to the voice of God and abandon the post that gives them evil money and decide to follow Christ? Note that Levi called many prominent men of his own caliber and type to come with him and Jesus to his house for a party. But they ended up encountering Jesus who gave them the best meal they needed—the Words of God, instead of the foods and drinks they were called to enjoy.
Look at our society today, you will see many publicans, many Levi who pride themselves in making money by all means heralding themselves in fame and power that takes no one anywhere.
I pray Lord to send down the Holy Ghost to take over this world and transform it into a world where nothing but virtuous life and virtuous ways of association with one another take the upper hand among every living being, today and every day of our lives, through the Mighty Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth I pray. Amen.
Be courageous and fearless in the Lord; for God is with you. You’re blessed; remain blessed!!!
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