The Loving King

Sunday February 25, 2018

Mark 2:13-17

Have you ever found value in something that very few valued?

As Jesus was walking he saw Levi sitting at the tax collector’s booth. “Follow me,” Jesus told him, and Levi got up and followed him. Levi’s encounter so changed him he invited his friends to his house to meet Jesus. While Jesus was having dinner at Levi’s house, many tax collectors and sinners were eating with him and his disciples, they wanted to follow him. The religious people saw Jesus eating with the sinners and tax collectors, and asked “Why does He eat with these sinners?” Jesus overheard them and said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Levi discovers Jesus and wanted to let all his friends know that there is someone different from others. Someone who doesn’t judge them, by their occupation, but looks straight to the heart.

As you take time this week to meditate on this passage put yourself in the story, would you get up and follow Jesus? Would you go to the dinner full of tax collectors and sinners? Would you be like the religious people finding fault that Jesus would eat with sinners?

Invite a friend to dinner this week. Do you love Jesus enough to introduce Him to your friend?

Do you love your friends enough to introduce them to Jesus?

  

                                                                             Joe Valentino

Out on a Limb

The story of Zacchaeus is one of many stories told which highlight the reason Jesus became man; to save us from ourselves, to bring us the joy of His salvation.  To be perfectly honest, I had never heard this story as a child and that means I had never heard the popular children's song either. (Now you are going to have that tune in your head all day--sorry.)

Tax collectors were Jews who had sold out to the Romans. The people considered them traitors, cheats and thieves, as their job/duty was to extort heavy taxes the Romans levied on the people in order to finance this huge empire.

When Jesus came to town He often caused a stir and this time was no exception.  Zacchaeus had heard about Jesus and he wanted to see the man for himself.  Jesus' reputation had gone before him and people were curious.  The despised tax collector must have wanted more in his life to be open to Jesus' words.

"For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost." (Luke19:10)

Jesus knew Zacchaeus by name and He knew Zacchaeus was a sinner.  Still Jesus called the man down from the tree. Once down, he invited Jesus to his home. Zacchaeus He was obviously ready to have his life changed. Were you ever to that point – ready for a major life-change? 

What is your story?  What brought you to climb out on a limb with the likes of Zacchaeus?  Your story needs to be told too, so that others might hear and sense the same call upon their life.  So that all might hear Jesus' words: “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham." (Luke 19:9)

Luke 19:1-10

Luke 19:1-10 - Jesus Dines with Zacchaeus

The story of Zacchaeus is one of many stories which highlight the reason Jesus became man; to save us from ourselves, to bring us the joy of His salvation.  To be perfectly honest, I had never heard this story as a child and that means I had never heard the popular children's song either. (Now you are going to have that tune in your head all day--sorry.)

Tax collectors in Rome were hated by the citizens, as they were Jews by birth and they chose to work for the enemy.  The people considered them traitors, cheats and thieves.  Their job/duty was to collect the heavy taxes the Romans levied on the people in order to finance this huge empire.

When Jesus came to town He often caused a stir and this time was no exception.  Zacchaeus had heard about Jesus and he wanted to see the man for himself.  Jesus' reputation had gone before him and people were curious.  The despised tax collector must have wanted more in his life to be open to Jesus' words.

"For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost." (Luke19:10)

Jesus came to save us, the lost, from being lost for eternity.  Each generation or even civilization has those people everyone would rather avoid, the outcasts of society.  Jesus avoided no one. There is great comfort in that truth.  There must be a fascinating story behind the man, Zacchaeus.  The story of what brought him to climb up the tree just to get a glimpse of the celebrity in town.  He was obviously ready to have his life changed.  Why?

What is your story?  What brought you to climb out on a limb with the likes of Zacchaeus?  Your story needs to be told too, so that others might hear and sense the same call upon their life.  So that all might hear Jesus' words: “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham." (Luke 19:9)

Read Luke 19:1-10 here.

Listen to Luke 19:1-10 here.

Matthew 9:9-13

"As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth.“Follow me,” he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him." (Matthew 9:9)

This verse is a testimony to me of how I want to see other people; how I want to accept others no matter what their life may be cluttered with.  There is a note I wrote in the margin of my Bible from a previous study.  I have the word "man" in verse nine circled.  There is a comment "not a tax collector" right next to it.  The teacher from that study was emphasizing the fact Jesus saw and called a man.  He did not see someone who was hated and whose integrity was questionable.  Jesus saw a man with potential; a man who could be taught and who could be loved.  What vision.

The truly amazing thing is Jesus still calls people in this fashion.  When Jesus called me into ministry I felt unworthy and inadequate for the work set before me.  I questioned, "Who am I?  I am unschooled and a believer new to the concept of building a personal relationship with Jesus."  That ministry ended up being the exact place Jesus wanted me to be.  As I mentioned a week ago, He doesn't call the equipped, He equips the called.

It is equally amazing that Matthew followed Jesus without hesitation or hedging. Jesus said, "Follow me," and Matthew got up and followed. I want to be like Matthew, and respond willingly to a call to serve. Jesus saw something in Matthew, and knew he would be an asset. When Jesus calls us for a given area of service it is because He sees something in us too.  

Read the text here.

Listen to the text here.