Tuesday, July 14: Mark 2- Dining with the sinners.

While Jesus was having dinner at Levi’s house, many tax collectors and sinners were eating with him and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. When the teachers of the law who were Pharisees saw him eating with the sinners and tax collectors, they asked his disciples: “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?” On hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners” (15-17).

Jesus was making a name for Himself by dining with sinners and tax collectors, people looked down upon by ‘good people.’ But Jesus didn’t care that others thought He shouldn’t do this. He simply went where He was invited and welcomed.

Levi, thrilled to be called by Jesus, held a dinner party for his rabbi and he invited his friends. And they came. Jesus was probably the only rabbi to do this. Others would have been aghast to go into a sinner’s house. In fact some of the Pharisees made a stink about this. But Jesus put them in their place. “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners”

I began to think, are there peoples’ homes I will not go into because of some kind of prejudice? Are there some people or kind of people with whom I won’t associate? Why? Am I afraid what others will think? Am I afraid I will be ‘polluted’ by contact with them? Jesus maintained His integrity, yet associated with many people that the religious leaders of the day would never associate with. Yes, He risked ‘contamination’ but it was the only way to meet them and to share with them what God was doing.

Every day doctors and health care workers risk infection in order to care for people who are sick. I think of the brave men and women who went to help those affected by Ebola recently. Their risk saved the lives of thousands, maybe tens of thousands. Shouldn’t I do the same, going to anyone who is open with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, despite what others may think?

Today, God is asking me if I have prejudices that keep me from taking the Good News to anyone or any group of people…

How about you?

Lord open my eyes to the real me. Show me where I need to grow. Show me where I have raised barriers built on race, creed, lifestyle or any other human created distinction in this world. I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.