This may be a short reading today, but a powerful one. Let’s unpack it a little bit.
First of all, Levi (Matthew) was a tax collector. It’s hard for us to really grasp what this means in our own context. When you think tax collector, think ruthless, think swindler, think selfish. It was a job that would make men wealthy because they were taking more than the government required. Yet, so long as the government was getting paid, little was done to monitor and hold these officials accountable.
With that in mind, Jesus picked one, Levi, to be his disciple, his follower, his friend. The Pharisees had a field day with this one! The NLT translation refers to them as “scum.” Other versions would say, sinners, crooks, etc. Continue reading “Luke 5:27-32 – Are You Sick?”
