EVEN THE VILEST OFFENDER!

Text: Luke 5: 27-39 

Indeed,  even the vilest  offender who truly  believes,  that moment from Jesus a pardon received". It is worth praising the Lord for.  And so we sing:

Praise the Lord,  praise the Lord 

Let the earth hear his voice

praise the lord,  praise the lord

let the people rejoice

O come to the father through Jesus the son

and give him the glory,  great things he had done

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The lord has indeed done great things for us,  whereof we are glad.  What more can we say?  He stated that  he came to seek out the sick and the lost. He actually  came for the sinner.    He didn't come for those who are whole and righteous  rather he came for me: weak,  downtrodden,  inconsistent, disobedient, discontent  and forsaken me. He came to  seek me and bring me  to the fold and I am so glad it was to my own booth he came. He found me and many others like me.  Alleluia! 

Jesus met Levi at the very point of  his "failure": his tax collector's  booth.  This could be rightly described as caught in the very act, red handed.  Yet,  Jesus said to him 'follow me', wow!  Honestly,  He is a mighty God and truly unfathomable.  His ways are not in any way like ours.  We all are guilty  like the Pharisees.  We condemn  people more than God ever did.  We write people off based on our own little idea of how God and his kingdom works.  Sadly, we are so wrong.  God is not interested in our little circles of "righteous and holy people". He's come to build a kingdom.  This kingdom must be filled up  with people everywhere.  When the people for whom it was prepared refused to come to his banquet  and began to give excuses,  the father commanded his workers to bring in everybody on the street,  the sidewalks  and even the ghettos to  fill up the banquet halls.  

There are so many 'Levis'  out there waiting to be included in the number. There are the prostitutes, the kidnappers,  robbers,  adulterers,  witches,  idolaters  wicked men and women.  However,   like the Pharisees many of us have blocked the doors. We neither go in, nor leave the door for other people to enter. Jesus left the ninty-nine sheep to find me and you,  why not help to find others instead of  putting your nose up in the air and behaving as if you are the gate keeper to the kingdom of heaven.  Let us stop with the condescending  attitude and the unspoken  condemnation of the people for whom Jesus also died. May we learn to Preach the  goodnews of God's kingdom  simply and plainly and allow the Holy Spirit to do the work of convincing jnstead of being the judge and the jury  about who should and who should not be saved.  Remember  it is by grace you're  saved not works lest any man should  boast.