UNDAILY Episode 64
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, and Levi got up, left everything and followed him. Then Levi held a great banquet for Jesus at his house, and a large crowd of tax collectors and others were eating with them. 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?” Jesus answered them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”
LUKE 5, 27-32 (NIV)
Imagine the scene: we're walking down a crowded street, and someone calls us by name. We stop, surprised. No, it's not a coworker or an old friend from high school. It's Jesus, calling out: "Join me!" Isn't that somewhat provocative? But let's look at today's Gospel. Levi is a tax collector, thus someone who, in those times, was socially less popular than today's malicious traffic cop with a souped-up radar gun. Yet, it is he who receives an offer impossible to refuse. Jesus doesn't care about public opinion, doesn't ask for a cover letter, doesn't check social media to see if Levi has anything on his conscience. He simply sees potential in him. Are we ready to accept Jesus's invitation as Levi did? Can we organize a good party for Jesus? We'll talk about this on the program "Unusual Journal" of Radio Safira this Saturday, invitation extended.
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