(13) Once again Jesus went out beside the lake. A large crowd came to him, and he began to teach them. (14) As he walked along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax collector's booth. "Follow me," Jesus told him, and Levi got up and followed him. (15) While Jesus was having dinner at Levi's house, many tax collectors and sinners were eating with him and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. (16) When the teachers of the law who were Pharisees saw him eating with the sinners and tax collectors, they asked his disciples: "Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?" (17) On hearing this, Jesus said to them, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners." (Mark 2:13-17 NIV)
After reading this passage, I went back to see what my study Bible's notes said about it.
Verse 15: "Tax collectors. Jewish tax collectors were hated by most Jews and were regarded as outcasts. They could not serve as witnesses or as judges and were expelled from the synagogue. In the eyes of the Jewish community their disgrace extended to their families...Sinners. Notoriously evil people, as well as those who refused to follow the Mosaic law as interpreted by the teachers of the law. The term was commonly used of tax collectors, adulterers, robbers and the like. Were eating. To eat with a person was a sign of friendship." (The NIV Study Bible)
What Jesus is doing here is completely counter-cultural. Understand that this is a radical move. Jesus is definitely making a clear and bold statement, and doing so in plain view of the religious leaders of the time.
First, Jesus calls Levi to follow him and join the rest of his disciples. This in and of itself is remarkable to me because Levi and other men of his profession were hated among others. Levi's kind was not to be associated with, and the idea that Jesus would cross that boundary, step over the line, and offer Levi a place among his closest friends is astounding. This was a big deal.
The fact that Jesus ate a meal with Levi and other "sinners" is showing something very important and it became a central idea in Christ's ministry; Jesus came to love the sinner. And not only that, but Jesus surrounds himself with men who are poor, humble, and/or sinners. Christ did not seek out the Pharisees and the religious leaders to become his disciples. No, he sought after the outcasts, those that were hated or looked down upon in his society. He shows this by pursuing Levi and asking him (or really telling him) to follow him. Christ chose the sinner and allowed him to come into a personal relationship with himself.
But something else should be noted. After Jesus chose Levi, others followed. Look again in verse 15: "for there were many who followed him". So in this situation, Jesus not only seeks out and wins the hearts of sinners, but he naturally attracts them to himself. And when his actions are questioned he replies, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick." So Jesus attracted the sick. Everywhere he went, they flocked to him. Both those who were physically sick and emotionally sick. The needy came to him and he accepted them with open arms.
So I started thinking; do I attract the sick?
Do I attract the sinners, the tax collectors, of our day and age? Do I choose to dine with them, allowing them to become part of my life on a level of friendship like Jesus did with Levi? Or does my self righteous and pious attitude turn them away? Do I come across as so "upright and uptight" that people who do not know or follow Jesus personally shy away from me, possibly out of fear of being judged? By God's mercy, I certainly hope this is not the case.
I want to attract the sick. I want to attract today's tax collectors. I want them to be drawn to me like they were drawn to Jesus.
Now, in my head, I think that if I don't have any tax collector friends, or "sick" people in my life, then that shows something. It means I'm doing something wrong. But maybe that's not the right way to look at it. I don't know for sure, but it does raise some concerns.
Now the key to being attractive to tax collectors would be to do what Jesus did first; seek them out. Reaching out and befriending those who are outcasts in our society shows them that we are different. That they have value and that they matter, not only to us, but to God. Never conforming or compromising our beliefs, but also never condemning or judging the ones we're trying to reach.
Brothers and sisters, let us remove ourselves from the comfort of our church pews and small groups. Let us branch out and seek the sick men and women of our time. Gathering and encouraging each other on Sunday's is very important to our spiritual health, but let us step out on Monday, cross the line, and take risks to seek out those who did not find themselves in a church building the day before.
Let us draw the hurting, the needy, the "sick" to ourselves so they may see the love of Christ in us. Remember you were once where they are now; you were lost and some other follower sought you out in the midst of your sin and befriended you so that you also could see how Christ is the Savior you were searching for all along.
Let our families, our churches, be the hospital that these sick people are drawn to, that they run to, so that they might experience the healing of our gracious Doctor who has changed our own lives in the best way possible.
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