Gospel: Mark 2:13-17
Jesus went out along the sea. All the
crowd came to him and he taught them. As he passed by, he saw Levi, son of
Alphaeus, sitting at the customs post. Jesus said to him, “Follow me. And he
got up and followed Jesus. While he was at table in his house, many tax
collectors and sinners sat with Jesus and his disciples; for there were many
who followed him. Some scribes who were Pharisees saw that Jesus was eating
with sinners and tax collectors and said to his disciples, “Why does he
eat with tax collectors and sinners? Jesus heard this and said to them “Those
who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do. I did not come to call
the righteous but sinners.”
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Reflection:
Are we sometimes quick to judge those
who sin? For example, we judge somebody as sinner because of his/her sinful
lifestyle.
However, the moment we judge we also
begin to distance ourselves from the person that we judge. And in doing so we
deprive ourselves of the opportunity to convert this person.
Those who sin are not permanent sinners
there comes a certain point in their life that they want to change. This change
is facilitated when they are not judged for the things that they’ve done.
Instead, they are listened, forgiven and given the freedom to live a new life.
Jesus in our gospel reading did not
judge Levi a tax collector and labeled as a sinner by those who know him. What
did Jesus do? Instead of judging or even condemning Levi; He went to Levi
talked to him and told Levi to come and follow Him. And immediately Levi left
whatever that he was doing and followed Jesus.
What if Jesus judged Levi as sinner and
told Levi that that he deserves to be roasted in hell? There would have been no
conversion and healing on the part of Levi. These acts of mercy, compassion and
forgiveness of Jesus should serve as a lesson for all of us.
If we want conversion from sinners, we
should not judge them. Because who are we to judge when we are also sinners
like them? We should instead help them live a new life permanently away from their
former sinful lives. - Marino J. Dasmarinas
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