WE ARE SINNERS

Luke 5:32
“I have not come to call the righteous to repentance but sinners.”
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“Birds of the same feather, flock together”. We always try to be careful in choosing our friends or companions. As much as possible, we want them to be equal or maybe better than us. We do this because we do not want to be called a friend of a thief, or of an addict. We try to as much as possible, carry our names with dignity and pride.

But Jesus is different. He even eats with sinners, like tax collectors and prostitutes. The Pharisees assumed that if a person ate with sinners, that person was a sinner, too. Levi was a Jew who worked for the Roman government. He was a tax collector. Tax collectors were reknowned for their dishonesty. If that were not bad enough, they were also ritually unclean. They rubbed shoulders with gentiles. Their clothing touched the unclean garments of gentiles. Their dishes and eating utensils weren’t purified. Naturally, using our flawed human logic, since Jesus and His disciples ate with such people, Jesus and his disciples were unclean, too. He ate not only with tax collectors, He ate with sinners in general.

But God’s philosophy should be at work, not ours. We all know that Jesus did this because He wants them to feel the love of God more. He wants them to see that the mercy and forgiveness of God is not only for the just and the “pure” but also for those who will seek His love and forgiveness. The salvation that Jesus offered is for all. But He gave it first to those who are poor in spirits – for He “did not come to call the righteous, but sinners”. And that simple act of humility has earned Levi the promise of Heaven. Levi got up and followed him. Levi found righteousness in the Son of God. Levi made no assumptions. He saw, he listened, and he believed. He trusted the One sent from God because he trusted God.

May we, too, live by faith, and not by assumption. We are sinners - spend more time with Him, let us follow Him and earn the promise of Heaven.

Almighty Father, Your Word is life to me and health to my spirit. Jesus Christ is my Lord and I'm a product of His love. I have joy, I have peace. Knowing that I am a sinner, so I seek His love more. Amen +

Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth.