Today’s passage: Mark 2:13-17
Helpful thoughts:
- Levi is Matthew (Mark 3:18) and the writer of the Gospel of Matthew.
- Levi’s/Matthew’s having a tax booth by the Sea of Galilee implies he was collecting taxes for Rome from the fishermen. The men Jesus called to follow Him as His disciples were men who were supposed to hate each other from the world’s perspective. Yet they were united in Christ.
- The scribes and Pharisees didn’t think they needed spiritual rescue. Therefore, they were unwilling to hear any help, rebukes, correction, etc.
Questions to consider:
- Who are the people the world says we should be against? Why and how should we be for those very people?
- What was Matthew no longer doing after he got up and followed Jesus? What had he left behind? Why do you think the scribes and the Pharisees were more upset with Jesus than they were excited for the change in Matthew? What is the mission of the church (Matthew 28:18-20) and therefore what things should we be fired up about? What do we need to care less about?
- What understanding/attitude must we have about ourselves if we are going to be able to hear when others lovingly strive to help us see our “blind spots” in life? Why do we tend to get defensive when we sense people are about to say something about us? How does the Gospel remind us that we need people to speak into our lives?