Contemplative Bible Reading

Mark 2:15-17 (New Living Translation)

15 Later, Levi invited Jesus and his disciples to his home as dinner guests, along with many tax collectors and other disreputable sinners. (There were many people of this kind among Jesus’ followers.) 16 But when the teachers of religious law who were Pharisees saw him eating with tax collectors and other sinners, they asked his disciples, “Why does he eat with such scum?”

17 When Jesus heard this, he told them, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.”

Levi was a tax collector. That was not like working for the Internal Revenue Service today. Levi was an agent of an occupying army. That army didn’t want to deal day-to-day with the locals, but it had to collect money to send back to Rome. The solution was to pay some locals to extract money from other locals. Tell the enemy that your neighbors weren’t cooperating. The enemy took care of the neighbors. That didn’t endear the tax collector to anyone.

About the only folks who would talk to a tax collector were other tax collectors. There was some sense of honor about the hated and disreputable. Levi called his accomplices to his house for meals with Jesus.

The religious Jews asked, “Why does Jesus eat with such scum?”

That was a good question. The religious Jews knew that Jesus performed miracles. They knew there was something special about Jesus—sometimes too special. The Pharisees were right in saying it was wrong to associate with these agents of the enemy.

Jesus answers well. Jesus was present to help those who knew they were wrong. Jesus was showing them the right way.

Many people since have followed the example of Jesus eating with the wrong crowd. Some of the righteous were swayed by the wrong crowd. Others, the exceptions, influenced the wrong crowd while remaining righteous. That isn’t easy. Jesus did it well. That doesn’t mean everyone else can do it well.

Let’s be careful and caring at the same time. That isn’t possible without the aid and direction of God.