S: Luke 5:27-32 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. Later, Levi held a banquet in his home with Jesus as the guest of honour. 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?” Jesus answered them, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners and need to repent.”
O: The Pharisees were so much like us Christians who are serious about following the LORD. (In fact, after the resurrection, so many of them believed and followed Jesus that they exerted an undue judiazing influence on the church.)
They were greatly concerned about following what the Bible teaches. They stood for a higher moral standard, and tried not to be sucked into the pagan culture of their day. They believed in God, the resurrection of the dead, and final judgement. They tithed faithfully. But unfortunately, they often got so caught up in this that they forget mercy, and became legalistic and judgemental.
Elsewhere, Jesus told them that it was good to be faithful about tithing, but not to forget the more important things like justice, mercy, and faithfulness. (Matthew 23:23)
A: Jesus Christ came to seek and to save the lost. Our main job is to follow Him in that, to make disciples of all people groups. All of us were dead in our sins before He saved us. Jesus Christ demonstrated His love for us by dying for us while we were still sinners.
Let's not let our prejudices against "bad people" get in the way of showing the love of Christ to everyone!
P: I know that I'm imperfect in following Your example, Jesus. Please continue the process of moulding me into your image, in this, as well as in other ways. Amen.
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