In our Wednesday evening study of Mark's Gospel, we observed a couple of weeks back how significant was Jesus' touching of the leper when He healed him. The leprous were unclean and were driven from society and all the regular human contact which we take for granted. After months or maybe even years, the leper experienced his first human contact when Jesus touched him.
In last night's study, we looked at the calling of Levi.
And as he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, "Follow me." And he rose and followed him. And as he reclined at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners were reclining with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. (Mar 2:14-15 ESV)
At first there seems to be little parallel between the healing of the leper and the calling of Matthew to be a disciple. I believe there is a strong connection. In the first story, Jesus heals a person who is physically leprous. In this story, Jesus heals the spiritually and socially leprous. And in both stories there is unacceptable contact.
Being a tax collector in 1st century Israel was tantamount to being a traitor and a thief. Tax collectors worked for the oppressive Romans against their own people the Jews. Further, they made their money by collecting more tax than was required of them by the Roman overlords. Whatever was over, they got to keep. It was little wonder that as members of the society they were social pariahs.
Then Jesus comes and does what no other rabbi of his day would do. He eats dinner with them. He touches them, if you will, when no one else in society will. And just like the leper, the touch of Jesus makes people clean - makes the spiritually sick well.
In last night's study, we looked at the calling of Levi.
And as he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, "Follow me." And he rose and followed him. And as he reclined at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners were reclining with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. (Mar 2:14-15 ESV)
At first there seems to be little parallel between the healing of the leper and the calling of Matthew to be a disciple. I believe there is a strong connection. In the first story, Jesus heals a person who is physically leprous. In this story, Jesus heals the spiritually and socially leprous. And in both stories there is unacceptable contact.
Being a tax collector in 1st century Israel was tantamount to being a traitor and a thief. Tax collectors worked for the oppressive Romans against their own people the Jews. Further, they made their money by collecting more tax than was required of them by the Roman overlords. Whatever was over, they got to keep. It was little wonder that as members of the society they were social pariahs.
Then Jesus comes and does what no other rabbi of his day would do. He eats dinner with them. He touches them, if you will, when no one else in society will. And just like the leper, the touch of Jesus makes people clean - makes the spiritually sick well.
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