Saturday 16 January

Hebrews 4:12-16; Psalm 19; Mark 2:13-17

The call to sinners

Tax collectors paid a fixed sum for the right to collect customs duties within their districts. Since whatever they could collect above this amount constituted their profit the abuse of extortion was widespread among them. Consequently, men like Levi were feared and despised. We could liken them to members of the Mafia – except they had the law on their side! Jesus, it must be said, was not exactly mixing with loveable rogues! To truly follow Jesus we should be willing to find ourselves in the company of socially suspect people. Can we imagine ourselves doing so?