Acting Removed

Luke5: ²⁷ After these things He went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, “Follow Me.” ²⁸ So he left all, rose up, and followed Him.

²⁹ Then Levi gave Him a great feast in his own house. And there were a great number of tax collectors and others who sat down with them. ³⁰ And their scribes and the Pharisees complained against His disciples, saying, “Why do You eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?”

³¹ Jesus answered and said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. ³² I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”

============

Jumping in my luxury car, I sped off to my office. Mulling through the projects of the day, I finally organized what I was going to accomplish. I attended numerous meetings, filled out reports and then went home to do this again and again. I never once noticed the people I passed on the street.

• There were times when work was the focus.
• There were times when most of my thoughts were on the job.
• There were times when I placed a large amount of esteem in my career.

The scribes and Pharisees had the “job” of telling people about GOD and they did it with a judgmental attitude. “Why do YOU eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” was their question to JESUS. They thought they were so far removed from their sins that they no longer considered themselves sinners.

• JESUS wants me to seek the lost.
• JESUS wants me to fill up some of my time for HIM.
• JESUS wants me to think of HIS kingdom each and every day.

Being far removed from poor, hurt and overtly sinful people doesn’t make me a better follower of GOD. In fact, the more removed I am from the more highly I think of myself. After a while I speak in “those people” terms instead of saying “us people.”

Being busy is also an exclusionary tactic. If I do not purposefully stop and look for the poor, lost and the hurt I can easily forget that I am one of them. JESUS wants me to be part of the crowd that seeks HIM in need of a Savior. I am sick and need GOD daily.

• Do you think you are better than someone?
• When is the last time you personally went out and sought after the sick, poor and lost?
• Can you plan on spending some of your time speaking on behalf of GOD in an inclusive way?