KneEmail - a devotional by Mike Benson associated with Forthright Magazine
Reputation
THE TAX COLLECTORS of Jesus' time were some of the most despised people in the land, considered untrustworthy, cheats, and traitors...
Yet it was Levi (Matthew) whom Jesus called to follow Him. This brave man arose from his tax office and went with the Lord. Later, as Jesus dined in his house, the scribes and Pharisees began their grumbling. No doubt, Levi was used to this kind of back-biting talk. Now his honored guest was being criticized for even associating with him. Jesus heard their talk and said to them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance." Our Lord knew their hearts, their needs, and their resistance to Him.
This is not to say that we should not seek to maintain a good reputation through godliness and an exemplary Christian lifestyle. We should live in such a way that our critics have no just charge to level against us. Still, I am glad that Jesus cares more about sinners than He did about what the social and religious elite were saying about Him.
Regardless of what other people say against us, we must not stop doing what is good and right. We must not sacrifice our search for truth for tolerance of every false teacher in the neighborhood. We may be accused of being narrow and closed-minded. We may be told that we will be excluded unless we are unconditionally inclusive of all other ideas and dogmas. (Think about that!)
When it comes to others around us, we need to remember that Jesus came and died for the sins of the whole world, not just for those whom the world says are worthy. We need to have the heart of Jesus, reaching out to all of our friends and neighbors, rich and poor, powerful and powerless, because they all need Christ's saving blood and the hope of eternal life that only He can give. Let us be bold in caring for others and always reaching out to them. Let us seek God's approval and not the approval of the crowd and bring the lost to Him. (Roger Wright)
KneEmail: "And when the scribes and Pharisees saw Him (Jesus) eating with the tax collectors and sinners, they said to His disciples, 'How is it that He eats and drinks with tax collectors and sinners?'" ( Mark 2:16).