"Later, as Jesus left the town, he saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at his tax collector’s booth. 'Follow me and be my disciple,' Jesus said to him. So Levi got up, left everything, and followed him." (Luke 5:27-28 NLT)
There is Jesus. There is Matthew. There is Jesus--looked upon (by his "fans") as healer, rabbi, man of God, miracle maker. There is Matthew--tax collector (whether true or not about him) looked upon by the community as crook, cheat, liar. Polar opposites.
And one day, here is Jesus, crossing the societal lines, "sacrilegious" as ever, approaching the hated, despised tax collector. Imagine Matthew's surprise.
"Later, Levi held a banquet in his home with Jesus as the guest of honor. Many of Levi’s fellow tax collectors and other guests also ate with them. But the Pharisees and their teachers of religious law complained bitterly to Jesus’ disciples, 'Why do you eat and drink with such scum?'” (Luke 5:29- 30 NLT)
There Jesus goes again. What is He doing? How can He be meeting with such people! But this is who Jesus is. Whether the contagious leper or can't-trust-him tax collector, Jesus reaches out. Jesus is the friend of the marginalized.
"I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners and need to repent.” (Luke 5:32 NLT)
So how are we to introduce Jesus: Friend of the Marginalized to others? Maybe one way is to live as Jesus lived and show the Jesus who lives in us to our community, to those who are marginalized.
James called the early church out on this, "My dear brothers and sisters, how can you claim to have faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ if you favor some people over others?" (James 2:1 NLT)
What about you? Where do you have the most room to grow in the area of marginalizing others? What do you have to confess? With Jesus' help, with Him living in you, how may you extend His love to those who are sick, those in need of healing/repenting physically, emotionally and spiritually?
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