In today's Gospel reading from Luke 5, we see the calling of Levi (Matthew).
After Levi leaves his customs post to follow Jesus, he (Levi) has a banquet for Jesus at his home. There were tax collectors and others at the table. The Pharisees and scribes complain and Jesus responds with, "Those who are healthy do not need a physician, but the sick do. I have not come to call the righteous to repentance but sinners."
This no doubt went right over the heads of the Pharisees and scribes. I'm pretty sure they fancied themselves among the righteous. They probably felt they had nothing to repent of. How sad. Sin is a disease that afflicts us all. And like any disease, we ignore it at our own peril. Paradoxically, those who feel the least need to repent probably have the greatest need to repent. The call to repentance is for us all.
Father, give us a spirit of humility to see our own need for repentance. Amen.
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