The Gospel of Luke

This devotional is written by John Holden-White. This is GOLD.

Luke 5:27-32

Jesus Calls Levi and Eats With Sinners

27 After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector by the name of Levi sitting at his tax booth. "Follow me," Jesus said to him, 28 and Levi got up, left everything and followed him.

29 Then Levi held a great banquet for Jesus at his house, and a large crowd of tax collectors and others were eating with them. 30 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law who belonged to their sect complained to his disciples, "Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?"

31 Jesus answered them, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 32 I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."

Reflection

Luke 5 (27-32)
It begins with the fishermen - amazed at his authority and now at this miraculous catch of fish, they leave everything to follow Jesus. A family business, nets, boats - a way of life. Everything. They have been around Him for some time. It is suddenly very personal. Then the healings. A leper, a paralytic, many others. "From now on you will be catching men.""Be clean."
"Your sins are forgiven... pick up your bed. Go home."
Now Levi.
"Follow me."
He's a tax collector. Wealthy, unpopular. Jesus went out, saw him, called him.

In Matthew 21 (28-32), Jesus tells a story of two sons. One makes all the right noises when his father asks him to help with his labour but, in the end, the son does not go out to work. The other lad makes a poor choice to begin with - he refuses his father, but then... he changes his mind! He goes. He works.

"Which son does the will of his father?"

Jesus told the Pharisees "the tax collectors and the prostitutes go into the kingdom of God before you". They responded to "the way of righteousness". This is a reference to his cousin John, the prophet who spoke of the need to repent of our shortcomings, of those behavioural patterns which dishonour God. Tax collectors and prostitutes believed John. Repented. Haughty religious types were all invited to believe... but did not.
Matthew 22: 14 – "many are called but few are chosen."

So, (Luke 5), Jesus chooses Levi, a tax collector, and Levi chooses to respond. To honour Jesus. Follow.

Question: What is my response to the call of Jesus?

Ask Him: Of what must I repent?

This is an invitation to Freedom!

Here's a picture of Freddie. Awwww. Note that his door is wide open. He is free to fly around the whole room. (I have made perches and everything). But he likes his toys and his food.

Don't worry, he will venture out. He is chosen.

And you are worth more than many budgies.

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