This week we find Jesus doing his teaching and healing thing on the lakeshore near the border (Mark 2:13-17), and he comes across a tax collector named Levi. The majority of Jews hated guys like Levi for at least two reasons. First, they were Dodger fans. Do we need to go further?
There were even more significant reasons, if you can believe it… Being Jewish, Levi was working for the Roman government, which was essentially working for the enemy. This made Levi a traitor. The Roman government instructed Levi how much tax they wanted, but nobody else had access to that information. So, Levi was free to get what he could. He was probably wealthy, and was so because he took advantage of his own people. A traitor and a cheat. Just what Jesus was looking for.
Jesus extended the invitation to Levi, and much to everyone’s surprise, Levi accepted the invitation! This meant he was no longer going to be a tax collector. It also likely meant that his wealth was about to get used for Jesus’ movement in some or many ways. Never in history has it been easy for people to part with their money. The more people have, the harder it gets. Levi had a lot. What do you suppose he saw in Jesus that compelled him to say yes? Has anything like that ever happened to you?
As an academic neurosurgeon, Dr. Eben Alexander never believed in anything beyond the grave, and always questioned the credibility of near-death experiences. Until it happened to him. E. coli bacteria attacked the neocortex of his brain – the part that provides near-death experiences. This portion of his brain was completely turned of while he lay in a coma. During that time, Dr. Alexander experienced another realm of reality that was more real than anything he had ever experienced before. When he woke up, he was a changed man. He had new convictions about what was real and what was not. He began telling others about what happened to him, writing a book about it, even. Big risk telling his professional colleagues about it, for sure. He said the only place where his ideas were welcome was church.
I wonder if that’s how it went for Levi. He saw something, felt something, experienced something that altered everything, and he responded with a “yes”. And a party. What do you do when something amazing happens? You celebrate! Levi threw a BBQ for all of his friends – an opportunity to let them know what happened to him, and why he couldn’t collect taxes anymore (at least not without ethics).
When was the last time you sensed Jesus calling you to do something? When you did it, who did you tell? Note: If you haven’t sensed Jesus calling you to do anything in particular, you are either dead or not paying attention.
Well, this all seems well and good – a nice feel good story of a changed life. But while the party was going on inside, religious folks were sneering at the whole scene from the other side of the street. Instead of rejoicing in Levi’s transformation, they were indignant that the prophet-like Jesus would fraternize with such losers. Religion does this to people, doesn’t it? Religion focuses our attention on rules so that we know where we stand, where others stand, and how far above others we stand. All in the name of honoring God, even if it may be devoid of God. How did they get that way? What turns a person who was probably once warm toward God cold as ice toward God’s estranged kids? How do we know if we are becoming more like those critics and less like Jesus?
I think when we find ourselves focusing on our own needs more than how we can serve others, we’re in trouble. When we focus on how others are measuring up rather than looking at how we can grow, we’re in trouble. When we find ourselves more and more critical of others instead of more and more compassionate, we’re in trouble. What do you think? How do we know we’re turning into the religious critic?
Jesus called them on the carpet, and made it clear to them that he came for those who knew they needed him, because they were the only ones he could really help, anyway. Do you need Jesus? For what?
May you be deeply disturbed by this story from Jesus’ life. May it force you to wonder if you’ve got the same zing Levi experienced that moved him to follow Jesus. May you be challenged to wonder how you might celebrate what Jesus is doing in your life by sharing the news with others. May you be courageous enough to look in the mirror to see if there is any Pharisee there. May you decide anew whether or not you still want to follow Jesus. I hope it’s a yes.
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