The Amazing Nature of God's Grace - Pt. 3

 He went out again beside the sea, and all the crowd was coming to him, and he was teaching them. And as he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him. And as he reclined at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners were reclining with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. And the scribes of the Pharisees, when they saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, said to his disciples, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?” And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.” (Mark 2:13-17 ESV).

 

“Dinner with Jesus” … now that’s an invitation I would love to have. Yet, that’s exactly what is reported in our reading today. Jesus is early in his ministry and passes a man named Levi. He makes his living collecting taxes for the Romans. He was hated by virtually every Jew. Jesus stops and invites Levi to “follow” him. They end at Levi’s house for dinner with many of Levi’s friends in attendance. They were “tax collectors and sinners.” What a group! These were not the kinds of people that any self-respecting Jewish leader wanted to be around. Yet, here Jesus is eating and fellowshipping with them.

 

Most of us would rather be around people like ourselves. We feel most comfortable with those who look like us, think like us, talk like us, act like us, and more. We tend to avoid people who are different from us, especially if they have a questionable moral character.

So why would Jesus talk with Levi the tax collector (also called Matthew)? And as if talking to Levi wasn’t enough, Jesus also ate at Levi’s house with other tax collectors and sinners!

 

Didn’t Jesus care about tainting himself by mingling with such people? He answered, “I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” The truth is, “sinners” refers to everyone: Jesus’ self-righteous accusers, the others at Levi’s house, and each one of us as well. Here we see Jesus’ grace vividly extended to everyone around him, grace that transforms lives and changes the world. Only Jesus’ saving grace can do that. Only by Jesus’ saving grace can we come into right fellowship with God. And once his grace touches our lives, we too should let it flow to those around us, including “tax collectors and sinners.” The amazing part of God’s grace is the power it exerts in transformation. It turns any sinner into a saint, not based on what the sinner does, but on what Jesus has already done!