Jesus’ value system is very different from our own.
When he entered a new town he didn’t seek out all the best people. Often he pursued the disgraced persons whom the leading class had rejected. Levi had placed himself in the service of the hated Romans who were forcibly occupying Israel. Devout Jews and religious leaders considered him among the vilest of men. Yet as a tax collector he lived comfortably and found fellowship with others who did not court the good opinion of the pious. One day while sitting in his tollbooth, Levi watched a crowd following Jesus as he walked to the seaside to teach them. Jesus, though, focused his gaze not on the attentive crowd but on the morally indifferent tax collector looking on.
Then the miraculous happened. At Jesus’ invitation, Levi got up, left his tollbooth, and followed Jesus. Levi had probably heard that Jesus was a holy man and a rabbi. He may have even heard Jesus preach. Somehow, Levi could sense that he was at odds with God and that areas of his life were out of order—but who on earth could help him change his life? Having been so long shunned by the Jewish leaders, Levi was shocked at Jesus’ openness. His heart was touched, and his hope was enkindled. God had not rejected him after all!
In his joy, Levi gave a banquet for Jesus and his disciples, inviting many other common people and sinners to join them.
By attending such a feast, Jesus wasn’t trying to blur the distinction between the righteous and sinners but to identify with sinners and infuse repentance, forgiveness, and healing into their lives.
He always reaches out to those who are distant from God or blocked off from his mercy.
Adopting Jesus’ values and virtues only comes to us through prayer.
While good intentions and sincere efforts are helpful,
they will ultimately miss the mark
without regular intimacy with God in prayer. We cannot be humble, meek, patient, or self-controlled on our own. It is the Lord who is all these things. Through baptism and a practice of prayer that pursues God, Christ will show his nature through us.
“Lord Jesus, thank you for reaching out to me and drawing me close to you. Give me a sincere love for others and a desire to share your truth with the lost.” 1 Samuel 9:1-4,17-19; 10
