Devotional: Mark 2:13-17, Levi The Tax Collector

1/7/2023

Read Along:
Mark 2:13 Then He went out again by the sea; and all the multitude came to Him, and He taught them. 14 As He passed by, He saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, “Follow Me.” So he arose and followed Him.

15 Now it happened, as He was dining in Levi’s house, that many tax collectors and sinners also sat together with Jesus and His disciples; for there were many, and they followed Him. 16 And when the scribes and Pharisees saw Him eating with the tax collectors and sinners, they said to His disciples, “How is it that He eats and drinks with tax collectors and sinners?”

17 When Jesus heard it, He said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”

Prayerfully journal your thoughts on these questions:
How do you think Levi felt when Jesus called him?

Why do many of Levi's friends end up following Jesus?

Why did Jesus say, "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”?

Apply the message:
How can I apply the message that I've learned from this reading to my life?

What practical thing can I do in the next 24 hours, in order to apply the message that I've learned?

Share your thoughts in the comment section and make sure to pray with someone today

4 Comments

Debbie-Ann link

1/7/2023 03:20:31 pm

To first know that everyone needs to hear and be given access to the Gospel. Who am I determine who is righteous and who is a sinner ( as the study says we are all sinners) ? Secondly, as a sinner I need to acknowledge my sins, my shortcomings and my inadequacies. Pray for forgiveness of my sins and for a renewed heart and mind. Then to ask for the Holy Spirit’s infilling so I am led by Jesus to those who need to hear about him. He will guide me to who, and in what to say. When I am connected to God, my thoughts are clear and his instructions are audible ( and I am not afraid). An observation in this reading—it is the Lord’s example of eating and socializing with those rejected by society, (surprisingly in this case not necessarily the poor, and outwardly sickly people like the leper and paralytic) rather it was those who had much but still lacked the most important thing— salvation and acceptance of a loving Lord and Savior.

Wayne Jamel

1/9/2023 08:41:26 am

I'm glad that you noticed that even the wealthy can be considered outcast. Those are people we cannot neglect either. There are many successful people who are spiritually sick. Good observation Debbie.

Selva

1/8/2023 08:29:49 am

Why did Jesus say, "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”?

Jesus said this because he was interested in healing the sick and not the "healthy". Jesus wanted to heal sinners from their sins. The righteousness believe that they are well and that they do not need Jesus. This tells us that the righteous are their own judge. The righteousness lacks realization of their need for God.

1/9/2023 08:45:42 am

Deep. Those that think they are righteous are their own judge. That's is not what we want.

Up until this point, the book of Mark has had a lot of healing, but now in this part of the story when He doesn't heal, He talks about sickness, because it's like what you said, there is spiritual healing that is needed.

Devotional: Mark 2:13-17, Levi The Tax Collector

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