 LGF is a 501c3 not-for-profit organization. All donations are tax deductible. Help us spread the love and Gospel of Christ around the world today!
 Helping build the church without walls with LGF Gatherings.
|
| Mark 2:13-14 Taxes, Choices and Jesus |
|
Today there is much fuss about taxes. I pay my taxes, but I’m no tax expert nor am I an economist with an opinion on what tax structure is best for people and the economy. One thing I do know is that I would rather be paying taxes today than in Jesus’ day.
In Jesus’ day there was much fuss about taxes also, but Christ did not get involved in the debate. One thing He did do was go out of His way to befriend the tax collectors even though the taxes they imposed were oppressive and unjust.
In the second chapter of Mark, Jesus continues to show His followers that ministry goes beyond the walls of a religious institution and the confines of a service. Jesus goes from preaching the Word, forgiving sins and bringing health equality to a paralytic in a home (Mark 2:1-12) to teaching beside the sea and going to befriend a tax collector.
He went out again beside the sea, and all the crowd was coming to him, and he was teaching them. 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.
(Mark 2:13-14 ESV)
There are big debates today over taxes. There are those who favor cutting taxes for the wealthy so that money can trickle down. There are those who favor cutting taxes for the middle class and raising taxes for the wealthy so that money can trickle up. There are those who favor a flat tax. There are those for big government and more taxes. There are those for small government and fewer taxes. Whatever your opinion is, we all must admit that concerning taxes, we are far better off than it was in Jesus’ day.
In Jesus’ day, Palestine was under Roman oppression and the tax system was unjust and very corrupt taking advantage of the poor so that the wealthy empire of Rome with its powerful war machine could operate and its rulers live a luxurious life. Now some would say that it is the same in our day, but stay with me for a minute.
In Jesus’ day, the emperor of Rome would decide how much it would take to not only run his government and big war machine, but also how much he would need to live a luxurious life. He would charge the governors of the providences under roman occupation and oppression to collect a tax that would support what was needed for Rome. The governor of the providence would then decide how much he needed to live a luxurious life and would increase the percentage of taxes to be collected for his cut before passing the rest to Rome. The governor hired tax collectors from the people who were oppressed and allowed them to raise the tax percentage collected however much they wanted to take their cut of the tax pie. Needless to say, tax collectors were very wealthy and very much disliked.
Levi was a tax collector who, like the others, had heard about Jesus and the Kingdom He was revealing through His words and actions. Levi didn’t go to the synagogue and hear Jesus there on the Sabbath, nor did he attend the meeting in the home that Jesus had just left where He preached, forgave sins and brought health equality to a paralytic (Mark 2:1-12). So on this particular day, Jesus went to where Levi worked.
Jesus went to Levi’s place of unjust business practices, but He not go there to condemn Levi, debate with him or to ridicule him. Instead, Jesus went there to befriend Levi the tax collector, the one who the religionists of Jesus’ day considered worse than a sinner. Jesus went to befriend Levi, the publican; the Jew who collected unjust taxes for the roman authorities. The Jewish people classified tax collectors with the murderers and robbers.
Jesus wanted to befriend this man that was wealthy and despised so He went beyond the walls of a religious institution and the confines of a service to go to the tax booth. Along the way He taught the crowds who followed Him more about His Kingdom which was being established through Him.
Notice what Jesus does not do when He arrives at the tax booth. He does not tell Levi that He needs to be “saved.” He does not invite Levi to a building, service, program or event. He does not have Levi repeat the “sinners” prayer. When Jesus arrives at Levi’s workplace, all that He says is “follow me.”
Now let’s inspect this a little bit further. Levi’s tax booth is located at the Sea of Galilee so that taxes (a small business tax) could be imposed on all of the fish that the fishermen where catching for their livelihood. Jesus, just days earlier had called four fishermen at the same location to follow Him and He would make them become “fishers of men” (Mark 1:16-20). Now Jesus takes these four individuals, Simon, Andrew, James and John, back to the same booth where they were extorted taxes from throughout their careers as fisherman and He shows them that He not only came to befriend the fishermen, but He also came to befriend the tax collector.
What a lesson for these new followers to learn about Jesus and His Kingdom. It was a lesson revealing equality for all which is an attribute of His kingdom. To answer the call of Jesus to follow Him meant that people would have to leave their professions and livelihoods. It was a tough decision to make on very little information. The fishermen Jesus had called earlier had an easier decision than Levi though, because if things didn’t work out with Jesus, they could always go back to fishing. But if Levi left his very lucrative government profession, he could never go back.
Beloved, please know that it is all about choices that we make. Today, as in Jesus’ day, He is still calling people to follow Him, but we must choose. God will never make the choice for us. He loves us so much that He desires to spend eternity with us, but He will not choose if we follow Jesus or not. If He did, He would override our human will and in doing so would not be a just God. But, God is just, so He calls us and allows us to choose if we will deny self and follow Jesus, making Him our Lord and our Savior.
Jesus said “For many are called, but few are chosen (Matthew 22:14 ESV).” Through my years of ministry, study of Scripture and my personal experience with our Lord, I am convinced that the difference between the “called” and the “chosen” is obedience.
Many hear the call of Jesus to follow Him, but few are willing to deny self and follow Jesus. They count the cost and it is too costly. Levi counted the cost that day and he made the right choice. Levi, like the fishermen earlier, decided to give up everything to follow Jesus. But for Levi, there would be no turning back. Levi, also named Matthew (Matthew 9:9), would later give us the Gospel of Matthew as another God inspired writing of the life and teachings of Jesus.
Many in our day confuse going to a church building and attending a service as following Christ and serving Him. There is absolutely nothing wrong with attending church, but I fear we have missed the whole meaning of following Christ and I have dedicated the rest of my life to help people around the world understand what following Christ means so that they can count the cost and make the right decision as Levi did. There are so many in our day who have fell for a different gospel that is not based on the life and teachings of Christ. We must get back to following Christ and His teachings. It’s an imperative from Him that we must obey to be among the “chosen.”
Beloved, please give me the freedom of asking you some questions. What are you doing with your life today? Are you denying self daily? Are you following Christ daily? Is your life a reflection of His life? Are you a part of the kingdom of God that has been established in Jesus that He is currently ruling over? Have you been baptized into His body by the Holy Spirit (referred to as regeneration or born again)?
Please do not confuse church membership or walking an aisle and repeating a prayer after a minister as a replacement for any of these. These acts of the modern church are not found in Scripture. Following Jesus and continuing His point of need ministry in the power of the Holy Spirit is found in Scripture and is the fruit of those who have been birthed into His Kingdom through the Holy Spirit.
Follow Jesus today Beloved. Follow Him. He will take you on a wonderful journey from earth to glory and many people will be touched along the way as you reveal His kingdom to them through following Him. You will befriend people along the way that you never imagined as you see them through His eyes instead of through the eyes of society. Many will sense His love through you and desire to be a citizen of His Kingdom. That is how His Kingdom grows. We are given opportunity to not only participate in His Kingdom now, but also to help it expand. What a wonderful opportunity. Do not pass it up. And never go back.
|
|
