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Editors note: These are detailed devotional times I have had with the Lord that I wanted to share with the readers. They will be posted on those days I have detailed devotional times. Today's devotional time was done before 10:30 a.m.

Quiet Times for Friday, February 20, 04
(Psalm 50, Proverbs 20, Mark 2:15-17)

Hi everyone :)

May you know the Lord Jesus who invites you into His Kingdom! Amen!

"While Jesus was having dinner at Levi's house, many tax collectors and "sinners" were eating with him and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. When the teachers of the law who were Pharisees saw him eating with the "sinners" and tax collectors, they asked his disciples: "Why does he eat with tax collectors and 'sinners'?" On hearing this, Jesus said to them, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners." (Mark 2:15-17, NIV)

Observations:

I asked myself what are the actions of Jesus?

Jesus was having dinner at Levi’s house with his disciples.
Jesus was eating with many tax collectors and “sinners”.
Jesus hears the Pharisees remarks and responds.

Observations/Interpretations:

I asked myself what is the significance of Jesus eating dinner at Levi’s house?

Point 1: Jesus was having dinner at Levi’s house with his disciples.

I found it significant because Jesus had just met Levi who was a tax collector. Jesus had invited him to follow Him. Now Levi follows Jesus and invites Jesus to his house to have dinner. It does not end there as is evident by point 2.

Point 2: Jesus was eating with many tax collectors and “sinners”.

When Levi invited Jesus and his disciples to his house, it was not a single invitation. Levi goes and invites all of his friends who included tax collectors and “sinners” to dine with him so they could also dine with Jesus who Levi wanted them to meet. Jesus could have left after seeing who he was eating with but remains there and continues to eat. Even though Jesus does not have a problem eating with Levi and the other dinner guests, the Pharisees do. This is evident by point 3.

Point 3: Jesus hears the Pharisees remarks and responds.

When Jesus heard that the teachers of the law who were Pharisees were asking his disciples, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and 'sinners'?", Jesus said to them, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."

It is so interesting that Jesus addresses the Pharisees directly about His willingness to eat with tax collectors and ‘sinners’ because He is indirectly telling them that He is the Great Physician that can heal them. For that to happen, He wants to also spend time with them. No matter where the dinner guests have come from Jesus wants the Pharisees to know He is there for them. The other side of it is that Jesus is also telling the Pharisees that He did not come for the healthy.

This makes me think that Jesus is alluding to the fact that those who think they are good (a.k.a Pharisees), Jesus did not come for them because they already think they have it all together even though they don’t.

Implications:

I learned from Jesus that when we are humble and acknowledge where we are at, Jesus values that. The Pharisees thought that they had it together and wanted to distance themselves from the tax-collectors and “sinners” of that day. Jesus would have none of that! Jesus reminds them that He came to seek and save the lost (a.ka. sick) not those who see themselves as healthy.

I learned from Levi that when Jesus invited him to be His follower, Levi does not ignore those he knew before following Jesus. Rather, he invites them all to have dinner with Jesus. In essence, Levi was having an evangelistic dinner so other tax collectors and sinners could have an encounter with Jesus. I too need to let others know about Jesus as Levi did so that they too can have a personal encounter with Jesus.

I ask you now dear friends, who do you invite to Jesus?

Dear friends, when Levi was invited by Jesus to follow Him, Levi not only followed Jesus but invited others who are like him to his house so they too can have an encounter with Jesus. If you are a believer in Christ, you have the wonderful opportunity to invite those that do not know Jesus to have an encounter with Jesus. Yes, you can!

How much does Jesus mean to you?

Does He mean so much to you that you are willing to go the extra step so all your friends who do not know Jesus can have Jesus as their Great Physician in there lives?

If this means so much to you, don’t you want others to experience the love of Jesus and have them encounter Jesus?

I know I do! You can too! For Jesus came to seek and save the lost! Jesus did not ignore the other tax collectors and sinners who were dining with Jesus at Levi’s house. When you bring your friends to Jesus who do not know Jesus, He will not ignore them.

In this day, there are many ways to do that to help your friends have an encounter with Jesus. We can do our part and leave the results in Jesus’ Helping Hands. He is the Great Physician who will attend to them as we introduce them to Jesus.

It’s like an ambulance taking people to the hospital. Once at the hospital, the doctor takes care of them. In a way, we are like the ambulance taking them to the Great Physician. Once we introduce them, we have to let Jesus handle the rest. We need to do our part but it is Jesus that makes the seed grow inside a person. He has already paid the price to set us free. We need to accept it!

There are different ways we can invite others to Jesus and I want to share them with you. These are not exhaustive but what I have found to be helpful:

J.E.S.U.S group (Jesus Empowering Students Under Scripture)
Evangelistic Bible Studies/ Seeker sensitive Bible studies/Investigative Bible Studies/GIG's (Groups Investigating God)
Evangelistic movies
Testimonies.

As Ash Wednesday approaches on February 25, 2004, I highly encourage everyone to go see ‘The Passion of the Christ’ and take their friends to it. It is a movie for everyone and not just Christians. As of now, it will be playing at the Waterworks theatre and Showcase East Cinema in Monroeville. You have the opportunity to invite those who do not know Jesus to encounter Jesus through this powerful film based on the Gospels.

Jesus loves you so much and paid the price to set you free. If you were the only one living, I still believe Jesus would have done the same for you. You are never out of His love, never out of His reach.

May you experience the love of Jesus Christ in a most powerful way! Amen!

“Introduce Now Valiantly Invitation Towards Emmanuel!” (I.N.V.I.T.E)/”Who do you invite?”

Prayer:

Dear Lord Jesus thank you so much for dining with Levi and his friends. You do not make his friends seem like outcasts. You knew they were not healthy spiritually and came to heal them of their sickness. I thank you Lord for coming into this world to bring your healing to humanity. Thank you for all those who invite to be part of your Kingdom. Oh Lord, I believe when you went to the cross for us, you made an invitation to humanity to come to you. Thank you Lord those that come to you, you will not turn away. I thank you Jesus for dying for our sin and coming back to life to save us. Help us to live for you and serve you all the days of our lives and invite our friends who do not know you to come to encounter you. Guide us and please lead us reminding us that it is you who are the Great Physician. Help us to do our part and leave the results in your Helping Hands. I thank you Jesus for everything. We entrust our lives to you. In Your Name I Pray Jesus! Amen!

Love in Christ, Ramesh