The Gospel of Mark: Calling Levi

Jesus went out again beside the sea; the whole crowd gathered around him, and he taught them. As he was walking along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he got up and followed him.  ~ Mark 2:13-14


The next boundary Jesus crosses is in calling an outcast as one of his followers.

There were few, other than the occupiers themselves, who were more loathed than tax collectors. Levi (Matthew later), collected taxes for Herod (Antipas): the king who was for all intents and purposes in league with the Romans.

Levi then was a man who took money from his own people and gave it to those who ruled over them. He wasn't simply like an IRS man working for a democratically elected government. He was a man collecting money for tyrants.

More than that, however, tax collectors were hated for how the system worked. Each region was assessed a fixed sum. Anything the tax collector collected beyond that was profit.

So calling a man like Levi as a follower was definitely going to raise some eyebrows.


Holy God, thank you for the gospel - the good news - of your Son. Open my mind and heart to this good news and enliven me with your Spirit of servanthood that I might share this good news with a world in need. Amen



Engagement Question:


Who are the outsiders that would shock our congregation if we asked them to join us?

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