Reflection for March 8 Saturday after Ash Wednesday: Luke 5:27-32

Gospel: Luke 5:27-32

Jesus saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at the customs post. He said to him, “Follow me.” And leaving everything behind, he got up and followed him. Then Levi gave a great banquet for him in his house, and a large crowd of tax collectors and others were at table with them.   

The Pharisees and their scribes complained to his disciples, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” Jesus said to them in reply, “Those who are healthy do not need a physician, but the sick do. I have not come to call the righteous to repentance but sinners.”

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Reflection:

Who are the modern-day sinners that Jesus wants to call to repentance? It’s no other than us—we are sinners. We sin through our thoughts, actions, and words. Like the tax collector Levi, Jesus calls us to follow Him and leave behind our sinfulness. 

Why does Jesus call us to follow Him? Because He wants to build a deeper friendship with us, and this can only happen if we choose to respond to His call—rather than respond to the call of the devil, who always tempts us to sin. 

When we respond to the call of Jesus, we ensure ourselves a meaningful life. This doesn’t mean that the moment we say yes to Jesus, we will be free from worries and trials. We will still have our share of struggles, yet in the midst of them, we will feel the abiding presence of Jesus in our lives. 

If we decide to follow Jesus, there will be people who will despise and perhaps belittle us. But we have nothing to worry about when faced with such opposition. What is most important is that we choose to leave behind our sinfulness in favor of Jesus’ call. 

Leaving behind our sinfulness is not easy because the devil will not easily let us go—he seeks to destroy us through sin. Nevertheless, nothing is impossible for Jesus. All He asks of us is our "yes" and our firm desire to turn away from sin. 

Lest we forget, a sinful life is a life in union with the devil, and a sinful life is a problem-filled life—problems that may seem pleasurable in the eyes of the world but will ultimately lead to our destruction. Let us, therefore, respond to the call of Jesus. 

Would you respond to the Lord’s call? —Marino J. Dasmarinas