PRAYER

God, help us to see people as You see people. Help us to show Your love to all. Amen

READING

Luke 5:27-32 (NLT)

²⁷ 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. ²⁸ So Levi got up, left everything, and followed him.

²⁹ 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. ³⁰ But the Pharisees and their teachers of religious law complained bitterly to Jesus’ disciples, “Why do you eat and drink with such scum?^[”

³¹ Jesus answered them, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do. ³² I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners and need to repent.”

REFLECTION

Have you ever been to the doctor? Through the pandemic, doctors and nurses helped many, many people get better. We are very thankful for them. Are people who are sick any less important than people who are healthy? Certainly not! The Pharisees were disgusted that Jesus was hanging out with people they thought were "scum". What a terrible word to use when describing people. Jesus loved everyone and spent time talking about God to people whose hearts were ready to hear the Good News and those people tended to be the outcasts of the community. God even called one of them to become a disciple! Levi, the tax collector became Matthew. The same Matthew that wrote the first gospel.

As people, we tend to look on the outside appearance but God looks at our hearts. If you remember, this was how the prophet Samuel chose David as the next King of Israel. David, compared to his brothers, didn't look like a King, but his heart was loyal and loving toward God. We are not defined by how people preceive us, but by who God has made us to be. If only we could align our self image with God's image of us: beloved, precious, wonderfully made, victorious, a light... and the the list goes on. May God give us the confidence to believe we are who God says we are.

LENT CHECK IN

Consider editing who you follow or subscribe to on social media. Remove accounts that are unhealthy or may hinder your spiritual growth.

Try to be mindful of what you watch on streaming services. Is it healthy for your heart and mind?