Today’s Reading: Daniel 9; Daniel 10; Psalm 123; Luke 5
Scripture: Luke 5:27-32
27 After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector by the name of Levi sitting at his tax booth. "Follow me," Jesus said to him, 28 and Levi got up, left everything and followed him.
29 Then Levi held a great banquet for Jesus at his house, and a large crowd of tax collectors and others were eating with them. 30 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law who belonged to their sect complained to his disciples, "Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and 'sinners'?"
31 Jesus answered them, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 32 I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."
Observation: Oh the religious types! Jesus had them in His day and we have them in ours. They want religion but only the external, showy kind. They liked being around Jesus, but who wouldn't? But He often rubbed them the wrong way. They wanted Him to go with them to their "nice" gatherings with the "nice" people. Here He was at a rowdy party with "sinners"! Oh my! But I love Jesus' answer. "I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."
Application: It's the sinners who Jesus came for. That's what I am. That is the thing that all true believers have in common -- our sin that brought us to need Jesus in the first place. Those who hide, or are unaware, or in denial, or don't admit their sin don't need saving. I had a man tell me once that he didn't need a savior and didn't need anyone to die for him. He was right. And he was wrong.
Bottom line: Remembering that it is my sin that is my first point of connection with other believers will help me keep my feet on the ground and my heart humble. I want to avoid becoming religious. Religious people tend toward pride and judgmentalism. Stay humble and keep it simple: I'm a sinner saved by grace.
Prayer: Father, thank You for saving this sinner. I am blessed to be Your child and I ask You to help me to keep my heart in the place of humility and simplicity. I just want to be open to all of Your goodness so that I can be fully transformed into the image of Jesus.
This I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.
1 comment:
Humility is the most important character quality we can have as Christians. Without it, we cannot be taught. The only thing you can't teach is teachablity. And there is no teachablity unless there is humility. I actually think it takes confidence and self assurance to have humility; arrogant people are generally very insecure, which is why they have a hard time listening to and learning from others.
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