ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHING
September 29, 2021
Have you ever been hated by everyone? There might be times when we felt that way, but I doubt it was everyone. In Luke 5, we read about Jesus encountering a tax collector by the name of Levi. Jesus says to him, “Follow me,” and he does. Later, Levi throws a big banquet for Jesus at his house, and many other tax collectors joined them at the table. We mock and demonize the tax collectors in the Gospels, often implying their connection to our own IRS. When I worked in Kansas City where there was a major IRS office, I had members of my church who were employees of the IRS. And every single one of them was a wonderful human being. But in the days of Jesus, the tax collectors were hated by most everyone. They manipulated and abused their own, squeezing as much money out of them as they could. Even the Romans who hired them didn’t really trust them or like them. Yet Jesus doesn’t appear to hesitate for a moment. He says, “Follow me,” and Levi does. When everything is crashing in, and it appears as if everyone is turning against us, Jesus shows up and says, “Follow me!” It doesn’t mean Jesus approves of everything in our past, especially if we have been causing injury to people. But he is clearly telling Levi and everyone else, “You are more than your worst mistake, and no matter what it was, you’re not beyond redemption.” That’s some pretty good news.
Thank you, Lord God, for continuing to be gracious when things go bad. Amen.
