Bible Reading : Leviticus 26, 27, Mark 2:
“And as he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the receipt of custom , and said unto him, follow me. And he arose and followed him” – Mark 2:14 (KJV).
Jesus extends the call to repentance to every sinner through the gospel. Salvation is a result of man’s response of faith in Christ. God reaches out in love to sinners in their world to give them opportunity to be saved and inherit eternal life.
The above scripture reveals the call of Levi to salvation. He met Levi sitting with custom officers. These were regarded as sinners due to the corrupt nature they enrich themselves at the expense of the poor masses. Notice that unlike other religious leaders Jesus did not condemn him. The Pharisees and Scribes will avoid them, having nothing to do with such sinners but Jesus went to him because he came to seek and to save sinners.
Jesus even sat down to eat with tax collectors and sinners, he was not ignorant of their sins. The Scribes and the Pharisees who do not understand God’s ways could not take that. How could one who calls himself a holy man eat with sinners? They failled to understand that they need to make contact with sinners.
You cannot impact a person you avoid. Jesus made contact without contamination. He identified with sinners with the intention to save them. Note his words, “They that are whole have no need of the physician but they that are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance” – Mark 2:17. This statement of Jesus is so instructive. We have so much to do with sinners, they are our assignment, they are our mission field.
Prayer : Dear Lord, help me to reach out to sinners around me with the gospel of salvation.
Rev. Vincent Diolu