Luke 5:27-32<\/a><\/p>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n
This account, of the calling of Levi or Matthew, provides one of our clearest glimpses into the character of Jesus. \u00a0And it\u2019s a very impressive one.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
Levi or Matthew is himself a tax collector \u2014 not the most highly esteemed profession then or now, perhaps, but infinitely worse then. \u00a0And Jesus is portrayed as dining with a whole group of \u201ctax collectors and sinners.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
When he\u2019s rebuked for the society he keeps, though, he points out that, as a physician of souls, he necessarily goes to those who are sick, not to those who are well.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
But well<\/em>, of course, may be ironic here. \u00a0In fact, it probably is<\/em>. \u00a0For, while the sins of the \u201csinners\u201d are obvious \u2014 and let\u2019s not fall into the error of simply calling them \u201csins\u201d; they\u2019re not imaginary, and neither Jesus nor the gospel writers were relativists \u2014 the sins of the \u201crighteous\u201d in this story are no less real. \u00a0They\u2019re just less easily apparent. \u00a0Self-righteousness is plainly among them, as are arrogant self-satisfaction, a distinct lack of charity, and a sense of self-reliance rather than dependence on God.<\/p>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\u00a0 \u00a0 Matthew 9:9-13 Mark 2:13-17 Luke 5:27-32 \u00a0 This account, of the calling of Levi or Matthew, provides one of our clearest glimpses into the character of Jesus. \u00a0And it\u2019s a very impressive one. \u00a0 Levi or Matthew is himself a tax collector \u2014 not the most highly esteemed profession then or now, perhaps, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1019,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-17075","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\n
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![\"William](\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/186\/2015\/01\/Hole_jesus_calls_levi.jpg\")
<\/a>