Mary’s Lent Diary (Day 20)

Word is that Jesus has chosen another disciple.  People seem to be really bothered about it though. I can’t see why – it didn’t worry people when Jesus chose the fishermen.

Hopefully I will bump into someone who can tell me a bit more about this latest disciple….

…OK, now understand the problem. 

It seems that, after healing the paralysed man, Jesus left the house.  He was walking along when he saw a man sitting there and said to him, ‘Follow Me’, just as he had said to Simon and the others.

So far, so good, but wait for it…this man was Levi.  Yes, Levi the tax collector!  I can hardly believe it, no wonder this has caused a bit of a stir.

What on earth is Jesus doing, choosing a tax collector as one of his disciples? 

Everyone knows that tax collectors are just about the biggest cheats around.  They charge us too much, and then keep some of it for themselves.

And now Jesus has chosen one to follow him! 

And that is not all.  After Jesus had called him, Levi - who apparently Jesus named Matthew - just left his tax collectors booth, where he had been sitting, and presumably left all the money, too.  Then he invited Jesus back to his house for dinner – and Jesus accepted!  Actually accepted an invitation to go and eat with Matthew’s friends, who were mostly tax collectors and other similar sorts of people. 

Of course, the Pharisees got wind of it.  They could not understand why Jesus would do such a thing, so they asked his disciples what was going on.  Jesus must have overheard because he is the one that answered the question. Naturally, what he said did not seem to make sense (!):  ‘It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.’  Then he quoted a verse from the book of Hosea – ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice’ – and told the Pharisees (yes, the Pharisees, those who think they are so clever) to go and learn what it means!

Then he finished off by saying, ‘I have not come to call the righteous, I have come to call sinners.’  Well, he is certainly practising what he preaches by calling Matthew!

Various coins in a heap

Tax collectors were given commission on the taxes they collected, but most of them overcharged and kept the extra.

It’s not difficult to see why they were not well liked.

Yet, it was a lucrative career.

In following Jesus, Matthew had to leave behind wealth.

Have you had to leave anything behind as you follow Jesus?

Matthew welcomes Jesus into his house, just as it is.

With his usual friends.

He doesn’t change the guest list.

He welcomes Jesus into His normal, into his everyday life.

He invites Jesus in.

Would You like to come for dinner?

Is Jesus welcome in your everyday?

Matthew was not well-liked in general society.

He may have been used to rejection.

Yet He issued the invite to Jesus.

Jesus had called him, inviting Matthew to join Him.

Matthew knew that.

And Matthew, in turn, invited Jesus to join him.

Perhaps that took courage on Matthew’s part.

Perhaps it was a risk.

Perhaps, for Matthew, it was part of answering Jesus call to follow Him.

I’ll join You where You are, You join me where I am; we are together.

Have you invited Jesus to join you?

Sometimes, it can be easier to join in with God and His work - church, witnessing, etc - than it is to invite Him into our day-to-day reality.

“I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in….”

Revelation 3:20

Jesus risked his reputation by going to Matthew’s house. No self-respecting person would have gone there.

Yet Jesus did.

Maybe you feel that you are not somewhere Jesus would choose to be.

“I will come in…..”

Where are you, right now?

Doubting, struggling, rejoicing, etc…..

Jesus will come.

Invite Him.

Would You like to come for dinner?

The Pharisees were legalistic.

They followed the law to the letter.

But they left no space for kindness.

Again we see that our heart-attitudes are important to Jesus.

I desire mercy, not sacrifice.

Hosea 6:6

Jesus wants space for loving-kindness.

And He desires that we show loving-kindness to ourselves, too.

Would You like to come for dinner?

Lord Jesus,

Sometimes, I get so caught up in doing things You have invited me to do,

that I forget to, in turn, invite You.

Thank You for inviting me to be with You.

Help me to be kind to myself and invite You back.

May our invitations be mutual.

Amen

Mary’s Memo Be kind to myself