Christ Church Daily Devotion May 20 2024

Jesus called a tax collector named Levi to follow him and had a banquet at his house with other tax collectors and sinners. The Pharisees questioned why Jesus was associating with sinners, and he responded that he came to call sinners to repent. The message encourages Christians to not only associate with fellow believers but also to be in the world and be a witness to those who do not know Christ. Welcome to Christ Church's Daily Devotion for May 20th, 2024. Today we will be reading from Luke chapter 5, verses 27 through 32. 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. And Levi got up, left everything, and followed him. Then Levi held a great banquet for Jesus at his house, and a large crowd of tax collectors and others were eating with him. 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? Jesus answered them, It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repent. Here we see Jesus calling a sinner to come and follow him. And as so often happens when we associate with sinners, Jesus found himself in the company of the tax collector's friends, all of whom would have been considered sinners. When challenged about his socializing with sinners, Jesus responded that he had come to call not the righteous people, but sinners. He was in exactly the right crowd that he needed to be in to do his work. I worry a bit that we Christians are too selective about the company we keep. It is right that we have friends who believe as we do, who follow Christ, and with whom we can serve. But if all our friends are Christians, we need some new friends. Ministries inside the church are invaluable, but like Christ who calls us, we also need to be out in the world, surrounded by those who do not yet know Christ. Will we be drawn into their sinful actions? Not if our faith is mature. We are no longer children. Will our reputations suffer? Perhaps, but we may be too concerned about our images. Go, as Christ sends you. Your personal worship option today? Pray with me. Almighty God, thank you for my church and my Christian friends who are so precious to me. Help me to go to places and be with people who do not know you. Give me the grace to be to them a friend whose witness they will see and hear in turn to you. Amen.