JOURNEY WITH JESUS

Scandalous Grace (Mark 2:13-17)

BY REV. LISA MORRISON

First-century Christians faced a difficult dilemma: Who is Jesus? Is He a prophet? God’s Son sent to save us? Or a false prophet? The religious leaders saw Him as a threat to their belief system since He continuously broke their man-made rules. Because of this, they sought to get rid of Him.

Why did the religious leaders see Jesus as a fake? In Mark 2:13-17, Jesus calls Levi (Matthew), the tax collector, to come and follow Him as one of His disciples. This was scandalous! A Jewish tax collector was considered a traitor, a disgrace to his family, and expelled from the synagogue. They fell in the same category as thieves and murderers, unclean as they were in cahoots with the Roman Gentiles (non-Jews).

Scandalous grace prompts Jesus to call a corrupted undesirable to be one of His disciples. Rather than Levi contaminating Jesus and the other disciples, Jesus decontaminates him.

If this is not shocking enough, Jesus has dinner at Levi’s house with many tax collectors and sinners. (v 15) Such a scandalous reversal of Jewish expectations! Good Jews didn’t go into a ritually unclean house, deeming them unclean. Religious leaders of the day found this offensive. In their eyes, Jesus couldn’t be the Messiah since he spent His time with disreputable people who were irreligious and impure. If He were the Messiah, He would spend His time with the religiously pure.

Those who believe Jesus is Messiah recognize His scandalous grace to tax collectors and sinners. Jesus’ mission is to redeem those who are sinners. For Him to shun sinners is as thoughtless as a doctor shunning the sick for He has not come to call the righteous, but sinners. (v 17)

Not only did those in the first century need to decide who Jesus is, but so do we. Is Jesus a prophet, God’s Son sent to save us, or is He a fake? He lives a life of scandalous grace, seeking to lead sinners of all kinds to a personal relationship with Him. I was one of those sinners who needed His scandalous grace–just like Levi. Maybe you are too.

He is calling each of us to come follow Him. He desires to dine at our tables, to extend His hospitality and intimacy to us.

Lisa Morrison holds two master’s degrees and a postgraduate degree from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. She’s an ordained minister who has served as pastor and staff pastor in several positions in the local church, as well as in district ministerial and educational leadership positions. She’s also served as Adjunct Instructor in the Religion Department at various educational institutions of higher learning.