Luke 5 (5)

Pray Psalm 146.8-10.
The LORD opens the eyes of the blind;
The LORD raises those who are bowed down;
The LORD loves the righteous.
The LORD watches over the strangers;
He relieves the fatherless and widow;
But the way of the wicked He turns upside down.
The LORD shall reign forever—
Your God, O Zion, to all generations.
Praise the LORD!

Sing Psalm 146.7-10.
(Hallelujah! What a Savior!: Man of Sorrows)
Jesus sets the pris’ner free, heals blind eyes that they may see,
lifts those burdened painfully – God forever reigns in Zion!

He the righteous loves the best; wand’rers in His grace are blessed;
needy ones in Him find rest – God forever reigns in Zion!

But the wicked who defame His eternal blessèd Name,
them He brings to ruin and shame – God forever reigns in Zion!

Read Luke 5.1-31; meditate on verses 27-31.

Preparation
1. Who was Levi? What did Jesus call him to do?

2. How did the “religious” people respond to Jesus going to Levi’s home?

Meditation
See, the problem with Jesus, as any of the truly religious people of His day could tell you, was that He was always hanging out with the wrong people. All those poor, sick, delirious people – as if that weren’t bad enough, now here He is enlisting a tax collector – a tax collector, for crying out loud! – as part of His discipleship band. And look at Him, eating and drinking and laughing it up with “a great number of tax collectors and others”!

In Jesus’ day, tax collectors, who worked for the Romans (Puh!) and often robbed their neighbors, were just the wrongest of the wrong sort of folks. But Jesus loved them and launched Himself out into the deep water of their lives to catch some men for His new regime.

Jesus sought out and appealed to all the wrong people. At least as the religious leaders of His day saw it. They had their own views about this rabble, this cursed crowd who did not know the Law of Moses. At least, not as well as they did. But Jesus knew those whom He was calling to His Kingdom, those who were in need of salvation and knew it. Whether they needed deliverance from illness, demonic oppression, a lifetime of bad choices, inveterate poverty, or spiritual decrepitude, they knew they needed help, and they saw in Jesus a gentle and lowly physician – of soul and body – Who could help them get well.

And aren’t we glad that Jesus comes to all the wrong people. For we were just such people – His enemies (Rom. 5.10) – when He came to us with healing and saving grace. Wrong people made right in Him Who is all righteousness and grace.

Treasures Old and New: Matthew 13.52; Psalm 119.162
I don’t claim to be an expert in geographical placement, but proximations of space are a little easier to determine. Levi gave a great feast for Jesus in his house. In the house. There were lots of tax collectors there in the house. And others. Who were those others? Well, they appear to be the same crowd that bunched together so tightly that the friends of the paralytic couldn’t get to Jesus. Yes. The scribes and Pharisees. The giveaway to their proximity is that they complained to the disciples about Jesus being there, and Jesus was close enough to them, in the house, to answer their complaint directly. Hmmm. |

If it wasn’t OK for Jesus to be there: Why were they there?

Jesus warned, “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits” (Matt. 7.15, 16). Or maybe their hypocrisy?

“Yes, they are greedy dogs which never have enough. And they are shepherds who cannot understand; they all look to their own way, every one for his own gain, from his own territory” (Is. 56.11). “For the shepherds have become dull-hearted, and have not sought the LORD; therefore they shall not prosper, and all their flocks shall be scattered” (Jer. 10.21).

In another setting, Jesus said to some Pharisees, when He perceived their wickedness, “Why do you test Me, you hypocrites?” (Matt. 22.18).

But on this occasion, when confronted with their judgmental hypocrisy, He answered equally as truthfully, but more gently, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick” (Lk. 5.31).

Oh, to be more like Jesus! He delivered the love that individuals needed at every point in their lives. Some needed a strong word, others a gentle touch. Paul said that “we have the mind of Christ” (1 Cor. 2.16), and that we are the temple of God and the “Spirit of God dwells in” us (1 Cor. 3.16). These are hopeful promises that will become realities the more we immerse ourselves in God’s holy Word. But I cry out, “How long?” (Ps. 13.1, 2). As long as it takes.

No one wants to be a Pharisaical hypocrite. So, we must be always on guard against this tendency in our own souls; fervently seeking to be more like Jesus every moment of every day. Forever, to the very end (Ps.119.112). “I delight to do Your will, O my God, and Your law is within my heart” (Ps. 40.8).

Thank You, Lord Jesus, for reaching us when we were the wrong people and help us to love the wrong people rightly “without hypocrisy” (Rom. 12.9).

For reflection
1. Why was Jesus always mingling with the “outcasts” of society?

2. How should His example shape the way we work our Personal Mission Field?

3. How can we keep from becoming hypocritical in our walk with and work for the Lord?

It was a wonder of Christ’s grace, that he would call a publican to be his disciple and follower. It was a wonder of his grace, that the call was made so effectual. It was a wonder of his grace, that he came to call sinners to repentance, and to assure them of pardon. Matthew Henry (1662-1714), Commentary on Luke 5.27-39

Pray Psalm 146.1-7.
Give praise to Jesus for His grace in saving you, in sending His Spirit to dwell in you, giving you His Word, and keeping His promise to be with you always.

Sing Psalm 146.1-7, 10.
(Hallelujah! What a Savior!: Man of Sorrows)
Praise the Lord, my soul, give praise! While I live, His Name I’ll raise
and exalt Him all my days – God forever reigns in Zion!

Trust we not in prince or man – no salvation’s in their hand;
death shall take them, breath and plans – God forever reigns in Zion!

Blessed are they whose hope resides in the Lord, Christ at His side.
By Him heav’n and earth abide – God forever reigns in Zion!

He is faithful evermore; He gives justice to the poor,
feeds the hungry from His store – God forever reigns in Zion!

T. M. and Susie Moore

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Except as indicated, all Scriptures are taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. For sources of all quotations, see the weekly PDF of this study. All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter (Williston: Waxed Tablet Publications, 2006), available by clicking here.