South's SOAP for the Day
S-Read Mark 2:13-17.
O-Jesus eats with the outcasts and specifically calls one to follow him.
A-How open are you to Jesus connecting you with the outcasts in your life?
P-Pray that you are open to how God views people instead of how the world views people.
So few verses with so much going on. This passage starts out with Jesus going out to the lake again. This is similar to the passage before, where he goes off to pray. He is simply finding time for himself and God. With all that is going on in the life of Jesus, it has the foundation of a continual connection with the Almighty. We should be following His example, even as challenging as it is, especially with as much time as we put into social media and the Internet. I am just as guilty if not more than the next guy. What would happen if we spent more time in prayer and in the Word than we did online?
As the passage states, quickly Jesus has people around him again. So, with a crowd, he begins to teach. Jesus always draws a crowd. he always has something to say. Questions that come up in my head are, do I draw a crowd? Would I have the right things to say? What do I need to do to be more engaging with the world and what do I need to be ready to say to them?
The passage then brings us to the calling of Levi, the tax collector. Otherwise known as Matthew. Earlier in the gospel we saw Jesus call some fishermen. I guess they could be the rough neck type and so his calling them is interesting. But, a tax collector? Really? In biblical times, they are some of the most crooked people in society. Yet, Jesus sees worth in the fishermen. He sees worth in Levi.
This should cause us to think for a moment. Jesus uses the most unsuspecting people to do great things for the Kingdom of God. He doesn't go to the synagogue or to the temple to find the smartest and most religious people. He chooses the not so impressive ones. As earlier, my mind has a ton of questions at this point? If Jesus were to come today, would he come to the church to find his disciples? If the answer is no, how have we missed the mark that he wouldn't choose us? If Jesus came today, where would he be connecting with people? Would he be at the churches? I guess he would at least come to our church like he went to the synagogues. But, what would he find at our churches? Would he come and teach to call us out? Would he find us doing what he is doing in the passage in Mark 2--hanging out with the lowly and unwanted?
The final scene in this passage is Jesus at Levi's house for dinner. Some not so savory characters are there at dinner, which is not surprising. I find it interesting that the text specifically says sinners, almost as if to help us feel and understand the judgement that the Pharisees were having on the situation. Jesus and his disciples seem to be at home in this environment.
Which leads us to more questions. Would we be comfortable in such a situation? Are we as Christians comfortable in "sinner" environments? Where would we find Jesus hanging out today? I would guess we would find him at the local bar on weeknights? We might find him at the DHS office during the day talking with and showing love/grace to the down and out in our communities.
Are we missing the mark? How should we change in light of all of this? How do we become people who are for the sick, and not just the righteous? How do we allow our lives to engage the world?
Lord, thank you for giving me the weekend to really chew on all these questions. I pray that you will help us as a church to learn from our journey through the book of Mark. Allow it to reshape us into people who live like you and love like you. May it make us look more like your Kingdom and help us to live out your Kingdom here and now.
As the passage states, quickly Jesus has people around him again. So, with a crowd, he begins to teach. Jesus always draws a crowd. he always has something to say. Questions that come up in my head are, do I draw a crowd? Would I have the right things to say? What do I need to do to be more engaging with the world and what do I need to be ready to say to them?
The passage then brings us to the calling of Levi, the tax collector. Otherwise known as Matthew. Earlier in the gospel we saw Jesus call some fishermen. I guess they could be the rough neck type and so his calling them is interesting. But, a tax collector? Really? In biblical times, they are some of the most crooked people in society. Yet, Jesus sees worth in the fishermen. He sees worth in Levi.
This should cause us to think for a moment. Jesus uses the most unsuspecting people to do great things for the Kingdom of God. He doesn't go to the synagogue or to the temple to find the smartest and most religious people. He chooses the not so impressive ones. As earlier, my mind has a ton of questions at this point? If Jesus were to come today, would he come to the church to find his disciples? If the answer is no, how have we missed the mark that he wouldn't choose us? If Jesus came today, where would he be connecting with people? Would he be at the churches? I guess he would at least come to our church like he went to the synagogues. But, what would he find at our churches? Would he come and teach to call us out? Would he find us doing what he is doing in the passage in Mark 2--hanging out with the lowly and unwanted?
The final scene in this passage is Jesus at Levi's house for dinner. Some not so savory characters are there at dinner, which is not surprising. I find it interesting that the text specifically says sinners, almost as if to help us feel and understand the judgement that the Pharisees were having on the situation. Jesus and his disciples seem to be at home in this environment.
Which leads us to more questions. Would we be comfortable in such a situation? Are we as Christians comfortable in "sinner" environments? Where would we find Jesus hanging out today? I would guess we would find him at the local bar on weeknights? We might find him at the DHS office during the day talking with and showing love/grace to the down and out in our communities.
Are we missing the mark? How should we change in light of all of this? How do we become people who are for the sick, and not just the righteous? How do we allow our lives to engage the world?
Lord, thank you for giving me the weekend to really chew on all these questions. I pray that you will help us as a church to learn from our journey through the book of Mark. Allow it to reshape us into people who live like you and love like you. May it make us look more like your Kingdom and help us to live out your Kingdom here and now.
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