Saturday – February 28

Scripture for the Day:
After this he went out and saw a tax-collector named Levi, sitting at the tax booth; and he said to him, ‘Follow me.’ And he got up, left everything, and followed him. Then Levi gave a great banquet for him in his house; and there was a large crowd of tax-collectors and others sitting at the table* with them. The Pharisees and their scribes were complaining to his disciples, saying, ‘Why do you eat and drink with tax-collectors and sinners?’ Jesus answered, ‘Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick; I have come to call not the righteous but sinners to repentance. -- Luke 5:27-32

Reflection – Georgette Scott

Of all the accounts of the calling of the disciples, I find this calling of Levi the most profound. Don’t you wonder what it was about Jesus’ voice, his manner, that could compel grown men to immediately leave family, professions, responsibilities upon hearing that simple, “Follow me?”

I can almost understand the fishermen, Simon, Andrew, James, John, being willing to leave the daily drudgery of their hard lives to follow this new “messiah.” After all, many believed the Messiah would bring political victory over Rome, over oppression, over hopeless drudgery. But Levi was a financially well-off tax collector (even if corrupt and ostracized by most fellow-Jews), whose livelihood depended on the status quo. Yet he too responded to the simple “Follow me” by immediately leaving everything to follow our Lord.

When asked why he would consort with the likes of Levi and other sinners, Jesus stated he had come to heal the sick and call sinners – i.e., all who needed healing, all who sinned. With Levi he is identifying one who is wealthy as needing healing. He is calling the well-off.

So often in our society we equate material wealth with overall well-being. One who is rich is usually not assumed to be lost, nor sad, nor hopeless. But the sickness caused by sin; the pain in an empty, lost heart; the weight of a hopeless attitude can transcend all economic strata. Jesus came to comfort and call us all. So whether my fortunes are high or dismally down, I follow” him today by reading his words. Invariably some of the same peace, comfort and joy that obviously touched each disciple reaches out from the pages and touches my own heart. Thanks be to God!