Gospel Reflection For The 17th day of February in the year of Our Lord, 2024
Gospel
Luke 5:27-32
27 And after these things he went forth, and saw a publican named Levi, sitting at the receipt of custom, and he said to him: Follow me. 28 And leaving all things, he rose up and followed him. 29 And Levi made him a great feast in his own house; and there was a great company of publicans, and of others, that were at table with them. 30 But the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying to his disciples: Why do you eat and drink with publicans and sinners?
31 And Jesus answering, said to them: They that are whole, need not the physician: but they that are sick. 32 I came not to call the just, but sinners to penance.
For the Jews of Jesus’ time on this earth, the tax collector was regarded as someone lower than a thief or a prostitute. The tax collector was not merely a Jew who was not a part of Jewish religious and cultural life, but he was an employee of the Roman state that was occupying Israel and oppressing her people. The tax collector was considered a traitor to his race and his nation. Moreover, tax collectors not only mercilessly demanded the taxes due but often more for personal gain. Even a leper would have been treated with more compassion and understanding than a tax collector; even a pagan or Samaritan would have been thought of more highly!
For our Lord to show not merely compassion, but fellowship and brotherhood to such a man would be the equivalent of an American defending a Russian spy or someone who sold our national security secrets to China…. And really even worse than that because such a man was not merely considered a traitor to his nation, but to his race and religion. Yet, this is exactly what Jesus did.
Once again, our Lord shocks and angers the religious and political officials. He gives us an extraordinary example of compassion. He shows that no matter how fallen we may be, He will offer us redemption and forgiveness. No matter how sick our souls are with sin, the Great Physician will heal us. No merit on our part is needed. The worse we are, the more the angels and saints rejoice if we repent and are saved. That is a true gift that we cannot earn or buy. That, is grace.
A Daily Catholic Devotional Reflections on the Daily Mass readings January-June, 2024. may be purchased as a .pdf directly from me using this link https://southernappalachianherbs.blogspot.com/2023/12/a-daily-catholic-devotional-reflections.html or in paperback on Amazon amazon.com/dp/B0CPD1DC7Q
I am also giving the .pdf as a free Thank You gift to anyone who becomes a paid subscriber to The Uncensored Catholic newsletter.
Gospel passages are taken from the Douay Rheims Bible.