Mark 2:14-15 - As he was walking up the beach he saw Levi, the son of Alphaeus, sitting at his tax collection booth. “Come with me,” Jesus told him. “Come be my disciple.” And Levi jumped to his feet and went along. That night Levi invited his fellow tax collectors and many other notorious sinners to be his dinner guests so that they could meet Jesus and his disciples. (There were many men of this type among the crowds that followed him.)
Jesus loved all people….and this story proves it. Not only did Jesus call Levi…..better known as the Matthew who wrote the first gospel…to be a disciple. He ate at his home that night with all of Mathew’s unsaved friends. Jesus saw the potential to love and follow Him in all the people gathered there.
This story hits home with me for I used to have the attitude of the hypocrites that criticized Jesus for his dinner dates. I used to wonder how anyone could work in ministries at the jail…or even thank God for not calling me to such tasks. But one summer I was privileged to work with the local homeless shelter…and I began to see the hurt and helplessness of people who had hit hard times. Whether it was from their own dong…or just a consequence of their own behavior…they still needed a shoulder to cry on…and a hand to help them back up from the state they were in. It opened my eyes to the needs of all people…not just the ones I like…or the ones that dress in a way that I deem acceptable.
Even more recently I was taught that people are not what they seem from outside appearances. I used a woman’s appearance to judge her personality. We will call her Mary….because I haven’t cleared using her story in my blog. I let the many tattoos on her person and the casual way she dressed send my brain a message that she was rough and tough…ready to take on the world at a second’s notice. I would have never known the truth if I had not become her friend…for she is such a sweet kind person…very timid in personality…who allowed satan to tell her she was weak for years. It is so cool to see God work on her…bringing her out of her shyness…showing her that she has always had a source of strength in Him…healing her from the inside out of all the things that have caused her pain.
Father…thank you for the reminder that all people are important to you. You love us all and want the very best for us. Forgive me once again for letting the world keep me from loving all people the same. Help me to make more friends like Mary…and get to know them for who Jesus can make them into…not shun them or criticize them for who they look like on the outside. Amen.
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