Encounter: People Jesus Met, Then and NowSample

Levi's Encounter

At the time of Jesus, tax collectors were among the most disliked and distrusted people. Their job involved taking from others, often profiting through dishonest means. Even today, some professions instinctively evoke scepticism and distrust. I won’t list any here, but I’m sure a few come to mind.

In this light, Jesus’s invitation to Levi is fascinating. Out of all people, He approaches a tax collector sitting at his booth and asks him to follow Him. Jesus chooses someone whose job involved taking from others, someone society considered untrustworthy. Then, He shares a meal with him—an act that causes quite a stir.

Seated in Levi’s house are Jesus, His disciples, and, as Mark describes, “many tax collectors and sinners” (Mark 2:15 NIV). The religious leaders of the time question the disciples, wondering why Jesus is associating with such a disreputable crowd. In that culture, sharing a meal was a sign of hospitality, fellowship, and acceptance—so naturally, people were concerned. Why was Jesus aligning Himself with those who were disliked and distrusted?

Jesus’ famous words, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick,” reveal His role as a healer. He isn’t condoning bad behaviour; rather, He is spending time with those in need of healing and transformation.

Alanzo Paul is a Canadian professor who is currently living and working in Oxford. There was a time in his life when things weren’t so altogether—a time when he desperately needed help.

During his teenage years, he developed addictions that led him into a dysfunctional and destructive lifestyle well into his twenties. He realised how dire his situation had become when a friend, in a drug-induced psychosis, attacked him in his apartment. The assault left him hospitalised—the very place where the sick go to find a doctor and receive healing.

Watch Alanzo's Encounter

If you are healthy and walk into a hospital, they will send you away. It is the sick who need a doctor, and it is the sick who find themselves in the hospital.

Jesus says He came for those in need of help, healing, and transformation.

Our churches and dinner tables should reflect Levi’s house—a gathering of those who need the love and grace of Jesus.

Application

Is your church or dinner table more like a hospital or a country club? Who in your world is in need and how could you invite them to experience fellowship with Jesus?