I Chose a Tax Collector to Be My Disciple

Meditations based on readings from

The Story of My Life As Told by Jesus Christ

August 26, 2019

I Chose a Tax Collector to Be My Disciple

Page 78-79

Matthew 9:9-13; Mark 2:13-17; Luke 5:27-32

Jesus often spent quality time with those deemed by his culture as being the furthest from the Kingdom of God. In those settings, many people became believers because Jesus modeled the principle that we are called to be in the world, but not like the world. (See John 17:11, 16; Romans 12:2; 1 John 2:15-17) Jesus was fully present with the people, fully accepting them as they were, without compromising his own identity as the Son of God.

Matthew invited Jesus and his disciples to his dinner party, and he also welcomed his own friends and associates, including, “many tax collectors and other disreputable sinners. (There were many people of this kind among Jesus’ followers.)” (Mark 2:15). The Pharisees heard about the party and asked Jesus’ disciples, “Why does he eat with such scum?” (Mark 2:16).

That incident reminds me of a passage in Brennan Manning’s memoir, All is Grace. Manning was the author of books such as, The Ragamuffin Gospel and Abba’s Child, and he has had a profound influence on my understanding of God’s grace. He struggled with an addiction to alcohol most of his adult life. He was asked how it was possible that someone who has had such powerful encounters with God’s grace could relapse.

His response was simple: “These things happen.”

Jesus’ marching orders to his disciples are very clear: “I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners and need to repent.” (Luke 5:32) Yet intentionally ordering our lives to include the people for whom the love of God is still a stranger is very difficult. It is hard to intentionally leave our comfort zone and become vulnerable so that the life of Jesus becomes visible in our mortal flesh. (2 Corinthians 4:10)

Manning reminds me that the most difficult part of being a follower of Jesus is remembering that “God loves us unconditionally, just as we are; not as we should be. Because no one is as they should be.” (All is Grace) I need this reminder because it is so much easier to accept grace than it is to extend grace.

My Takeaway: As for me, I am thankful to be included among the scum dining with Jesus, and may I never forget it.

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com. The BLOG is also available on Amazon Kindle, by subscription.

Copyright © 2019 by Alex M. Knight

Publications by Alex M. Knight:

• Seeking the Life in Christ, Meditations on the New Testament and Psalms has been published and is now available at Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle.

• The second edition of  First Think – Then Pray is available on Amazon Kindle.

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.