Mark 2:13-14 (NIVUK)
13 Once again Jesus went out beside the lake. A large crowd came to him, and he began to teach them. 14 As he walked along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax collector’s booth. ‘Follow me,’ Jesus told him, and Levi got up and followed him.
15 While Jesus was having dinner at Levi’s house, many tax collectors and sinners were eating with him and his disciples, for there were many who followed him.
What happened between verse 14 and 15? In verse 14, Jesus said ‘follow me’, and in verse 15, we find Jesus having dinner at Levi’s house. Did Jesus say ‘follow me’, and then walk to his house and invite himself in to eat? Of course, he does something like this with Zacchaeus, it seems to be a pattern of behaviour… Is he being rude? Is it something to do with different cultural expectations? There’s a lot we’re not told that makes it hard to know exactly what’s happening. What seems clear to me, though, is that you don’t invite yourself to dinner with people you don’t want to spend time with. Jesus seems to want to spend time with all sorts of people, especially those on the edges of society…
Jesus, do you want to spend time with me? You’re welcome. Come in, pull up a chair, let’s talk…
Image used with permission by Bible Society Australia – The Wild Bible
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