RE Verse reading–Mark 2:13-17 (day one)
“While Jesus was having dinner at Levi’s house, many tax collectors and ‘sinners’ were eating with Him” (vs 15) The first Christmas must have been a strange collection of people. Shepherds who smelled of sheep dung. A teenage girl exhausted and filled with hope. An older husband watching with concern. It is a characteristic of Christ that will show up later in His life–inclusiveness. We see it this week in Mark 2. When Jesus gave Levi (a tax collector) the same call that He had given to Andrew and Peter (follow me), He opened the door to every person. Declaring clearly that ALL suffer from the same illness and, therefore, ALL need and benefit from the same treatment (ie. connection with God through faith/union with His Son) From this time forward, outreach to outsiders (unlikely candidates for spiritual life) is a mark of true Christianity! It is characteristic of Christ to include outsiders in His story.
