God Invites Everyone

𝐉𝐔𝐋𝐘 𝟒, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓: 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐑𝐓𝐄𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐇 𝐖𝐄𝐄𝐊 𝐈𝐍 𝐎𝐑𝐃𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐑𝐘 𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄

𝟏𝐬𝐭 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠: 𝐆𝐞𝐧𝟐𝟑:𝟏-𝟒, 𝟏𝟗; 𝟐𝟒:𝟏-𝟖, 𝟔𝟐-𝟔𝟕

𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐏𝐬𝐚𝐥𝐦: 𝐏𝐬𝐚 𝟏𝟎𝟔:𝟏-𝟓 “𝐆𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐨𝐫𝐝, 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝.” 𝐆𝐎𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐋: 𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐓 𝟗:𝟗-𝟏𝟑

𝑲𝒆𝒚 𝑽𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒆: “𝑰 𝒅𝒊𝒅 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒄𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒆𝒐𝒖𝒔, 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒏𝒆𝒓𝒔.” (𝒗.13)

When we talk of our final destination after our life here on earth, the discussion will eventually narrow down as to who will qualify to enter the Kingdom of God. Sometimes out of guilt we put ourselves down and get discouraged forgetting that there are options available even to one who is shackled by the weight of sin.

           And we see this in Luke’s gospel where the Evangelist quoted Jesus as saying: "𝑰 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒄𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒔𝒆 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒌 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒆𝒐𝒖𝒔, 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒔𝒆 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒏𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒏𝒆𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒓𝒆𝒑𝒆𝒏𝒕.” (𝑳𝒌 5:32) 

For a man to be regarded as religious, he must be able to stretch out his hand to help a man who is in need. Otherwise, it would just be another form of outward piety, and we see so many of these in the church or community where projects and programs have been prioritized over the proclamation of the Gospel.

         The Gospel today speaks of what the inner disposition of man should be in terms of his relationship with others especially those who are in great need. This has become the subject of many of the teachings of Jesus, and it could not be avoided that the attitude of the Scribes and Pharisees would become the benchmark to which man’s relationship with God and neighbor was to be compared with.   

         Today’s Gospel that we read in 𝑴𝒂𝒕𝒕 9:9-13 also presents us with the reality that the Kingdom of God is for saints and sinners alike and this reminds us of a contrast in the plot of an 1987 movie made by Steven Spielberg entitled “𝘉𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘕𝘰𝘵 𝘐𝘯𝘤𝘭𝘶𝘥𝘦𝘥.”  It tells of a story of an elderly apartment block tenants who sought the aid of alien mechanical life-forms to save their building from being demolished to give way to a new multi-story condominium.

         Our lives at times are no different from those characterized in Spielberg’s movies, such as the elderly couple who sought help from mechanical aliens to save their home from being demolished. And today, many of us who are mired in what appear to be insurmountable problems and difficulties lose ourselves in search for solutions and finding none we end up kneeling before God and storming heaven with our prayers.

         This was probably the case of Levi who was one of the most hated among men in Capernaum and who was regarded by the Jews as notoriously dishonest. What we don’t know was that Levi perfectly knew the sentiments of the Jews against him and that he probably was just waiting for the right opportunity to turn his life around.

         That this account on the calling of Levi would be arranged in such a way that it comes on the heels of the healing of the demon-possessed men (𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐭 𝟖:𝟐𝟖-𝟑𝟒) and the paralytic (𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐭 𝟗:𝟏-𝟖) only shows that Jesus was indeed sent not just for a particular set of people but for all of creation.

This can also be gleaned from the Words of Jesus in 𝑱𝒏 3:16 when he proclaimed that: “𝑭𝒐𝒓 𝑮𝒐𝒅 𝒔𝒐 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒉𝒆 𝒈𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒐𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝒃𝒆𝒈𝒐𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒏 𝒔𝒐𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒂𝒏𝒚𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒃𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒔 𝒊𝒏 𝒉𝒊𝒎 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒔𝒉 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒆𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒏𝒂𝒍 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆.” Jesus was explicit that he came not just for you and me but for the world which means that no one would be left behind when the Son of God will come again.

         As Jesus went on from healing the paralytic, he saw Levi at the tax collector’s booth, Jesus said: “𝑭𝒐𝒍𝒍𝒐𝒘 𝒎𝒆” (𝒗.9) and Levi got up and followed him. In the next few moments, try to imagine that you were one of those in the crowd. As an adult Jew you have received faith formation and religious studies since your childhood days from visiting Rabbis, Scribes and Pharisees.

         Certainly, you’d be surprised as the people at that time when Jesus called on Levi, who as a tax collector was hated by the Jews because his profession was to collect taxes and fees for the Roman government thus tax collectors were considered as traitors. They are also viewed as extortionists because they normally get a slice of the taxes that they collect.   

         As such, tax collectors are lumped together with sinners and harlots (𝐋𝐤 𝟏𝟓:𝟏-𝟐)  and no Jew who was in his proper frame of mind would associate themselves with tax collectors. Except for Jesus no one in the crowd knew what was in the mind of Levi who must have heard of Jesus, and it was possible that Levi was already overcome by guilt at his sinful ways and was planning to turn a new leaf and was just waiting for an opportune time.

         This was the only plausible explanation why Levi stood up, left everything and followed Jesus (𝒗.9). And if the Scribes were perplexed at the calling of Levi, they were even more scandalized when Levi hosted a feast for Jesus in his house that was attended by other tax collectors and sinners as well and the teachers of the law asked his disciples why Jesus eats with sinners (𝒗.11).        

What follows in 𝒗𝒗.12-13 was the response of Jesus which reveals his mission on earth: “𝑰𝒕 𝒊𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒍𝒕𝒉𝒚 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒏𝒆𝒆𝒅 𝒂 𝒅𝒐𝒄𝒕𝒐𝒓, 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒊𝒄𝒌. 𝑰 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒄𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒆𝒐𝒖𝒔, 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒏𝒆𝒓𝒔.” Jesus chose a sinner like Levi who would later be called Matthew because he knew that Levi (Matthew) was repentant and has what it takes to become a disciple as the former tax collector left everything and staked whatever he has left on Christ.

         What Jesus requires of his disciples is the willingness to give up everything “𝒅𝒆𝒏𝒚 𝒉𝒊𝒎𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒇, 𝒕𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒖𝒑 𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒄𝒓𝒐𝒔𝒔 𝒅𝒂𝒊𝒍𝒚 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒇𝒐𝒍𝒍𝒐𝒘 𝒎𝒆.” (𝑳𝒌 9:23) This is also what Jesus requires from us in that we must be prepared to step out of our comfort zones and follow him wherever he leads us. What Jesus said to Levi was “follow me.” Jesus did not mean “I am calling you to become the Boss.” To follow Jesus is to do what he did. He led the disciples but only for the purpose of training them towards a life of humility and obedience.

         In the church or community for that matter, it has become too common to see people stepping up to the plate but only to give orders “do this, do that” but you’ll never see them work up a sweat. What Jesus needs are workers and not bosses because on our way to eternity there is only one Master and that is Jesus.

         The underlying message in this Gospel is that Jesus is not inviting people who believe that they are already good enough and have no need of help. What Jesus is pointing out here is that the first step in discipleship is to acknowledge our need for a savior and admit that we don’t have all the answers.

         The true and authentic Christian life is to follow Christ by turning our backs from the world we are in. We will experience hardships, comfort, deprivation and, we will find ourselves poorer in terms of material possessions. Worldly ambitions are thrown out of the window but through it all, following Christ will bring joy and peace and the privilege to become co-heir to the Kingdom of Heaven.

         To follow Christ as Matthew did, we are commanded to share the Gospel with the poor, immoral, the deprived and depraved, the outcasts of society and, not just the rich, popular and powerful. Heaven, after all, is also for sinners. “𝑮𝒐𝒅 𝒅𝒐𝒆𝒔𝒏’𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒃𝒖𝒓𝒏𝒕 𝒐𝒇𝒇𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔; 𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒔 𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒈 𝒔𝒆𝒓𝒗𝒊𝒄𝒆” (𝑷𝒔𝒂 40:6-8).

           The reality that is very evident in today’s Gospel passage is that Jesus set aside all the flaws in Levi’s character, the sins he has committed that turned him into one of the most hated person in Capernaum, Yet Jesus saw in Levi the willingness to repent of his sins and amend his ways.

This is the same with us. Jesus is prepared to overlook our sinful nature for as long as we are prepared to die to ourselves, pick up our cross and follow him (𝐋𝐤 𝟗:𝟐𝟑). This only goes to show that Jesus is not choosy. He is prepared to welcome all of us into His Kingdom for as long as we repent of our sins.                   

Thus, if Jesus will pass by you at this very moment and will tell you: “𝐅𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐦𝐞.” How are you going to respond? Are you going to do what Matthew did and leave everything behind to follow Jesus? How you respond will define who you truly are. (𝘌𝘥 𝘔𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘺 – 𝘑𝘶𝘭𝘺 4, 2025)