scum

Luke 5

27 Later, as Jesus left the town, he saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at his tax collector's booth. 

"Follow me and be my disciple," Jesus said to him.

28 So Levi got up, left everything, and followed him.



  29 Later, Levi held a banquet in his home with Jesus as the guest of honor. 

Many of Levi's fellow tax collectors and other guests also ate with them.

30 But the Pharisees and their teachers of religious law complained bitterly to Jesus' disciples, 

"Why do you eat and drink with such scum?"



  31 Jesus answered them, 

"Healthy people don't need a doctor - sick people do. 

32 I have come to call sinners to turn from their sins, 

not to spend my time with those who think they are already good enough."



We've forgotten that this is who & what we're supposed to be all about.

Obviously, Jesus possessed such a Spirit & attitude that even the people who were considered "scum" wanted to be around Him.

As people who claim to follower Jesus & allow Him to morph us into is likeness, we have to ask ourselves if our attitude & actions communicate to all people His love & caring to the point that they naturally want to be around us.

Instead, we have adopted a role of moral police, whoring for power & political influence.

We should be ashamed.

Jesus explained over & over again during His brief 3 years of ministry that our task is to love people - pure & simple.

The essence of who we are & what we do is love.

It is embarrassing how far we have wandered away from that central reality.

Time & time again in all four gospels Jesus is portrayed as a powerhouse of love - someone that children & "scum" wanted to be around.


Maybe we should quit chasing after the things in this world to which we've sold our souls

 & ask Jesus to channel that love of His through us to all people;

especially those who need it the most, 

not the Pharisees who think they're already good enough.