He Has Set His Affection On Us

Jesus, friend of sinners

I sing this phrase, but how often do I emulate this phrase? 

Last week, the lecture topic was Church Planting. We took a look at Luke 5:27-32, the calling of Levi. 

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.”

We were asked three questions about this passage. What does this say about Jesus? What does this say about me? What do I need to change in my life to become obedient to this passage? 

Here is my response to those questions. 

1. This tells me that Jesus is not afraid of sinners. He hangs out with them. He doesn’t need to uphold a “reputation”. 

2. Levi’s response to Jesus challenges me. Scripture says that “Levi got up, left everything and followed him.” Is that my response to Jesus’ call? Also, I love that Levi threw a big party for Jesus and invited all of his sinner friends. He brought Jesus to his circle of friends. He wanted his friends to know about Jesus. 

3. If I don’t have friends that don’t know the Lord, I need to get some. I can’t be afraid of going to places where Jesus isn’t. I should probably even be seeking them out! 

What does this passage speak to you? 

14 March 2011 ·