relationships (Mark 2:15-17) Being Inviting

(Mark 2:15-17)

15 And it happened that He was reclining at the table in his house, and many tax collectors and sinners were dining with Jesus and His disciples; for there were many of them, and they were following Him. 16 When the scribes of the Pharisees saw that He was eating with the sinners and tax collectors, they said to His disciples, “Why is He eating with tax collectors and sinners?” 17 And hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick; I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

TODAY'S TAKEAWAY:

Here is our shining example of how to be "in the world, but not of the world".  Levi (Matthew) had just made his decision to follow Jesus.  And immediately, he invited Jesus and His disciples over for a meal, and invited all of his tax-collector-friends and other "worldly friends" to join them, and meet Jesus!

I love how Matthew didn't try to do this on his own.  He had the support of not only Jesus, Himself, but also his new brothers in Christ!  And he had everyone over to his house.  Maybe for him, it was an environment where temptations would not be as prevalent.  Who knows.  But there they all were, getting to know Jesus, and as verse 15 says, they were all following Him.  Just so, as we go out into the world, we should be inviting Jesus to go with us, be right there beside us, giving us opportunities, and the right words to speak as He presents the opportunities to us, to share the love and salvation of the Lord, and His life-changing power.

It was the self-righteous scribes and Pharisees who looked down on this, always with the intention of discrediting Jesus.  People, like the scribes and Pharisees, believe that in their own thinking and in their own strength, they are able to be "good enough" to work their way to heaven.  But no one can be "good enough."  One has to be perfect, which is impossible for anyone of us to be, even when and if we really, really, really want to be.

One will never understand what it truly means to be a believer (a Christian), until one realizes that they are sick with sin, and they need Jesus as their Physician!  And continuing on in one's journey of faith is not about the do's and don'ts, it's all about having a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus... because we will still struggle with our sinful nature, and therefore we still need Jesus' help, nourishment, guidance, wisdom, strength, comfort, peace, hope, joy, grace...friendship!!!