Saturday, January 16, 2009
1 Samuel 9: 1-4, 17-19, 10: 1; Psalm 21; Mark 2: 13-17
It is God who chooses Saul as Israel’s first king, a tall and handsome man whom we will learn later is moody and even vicious. Yet Samuel tells him, “The Lord has anointed you…” Psalm 21 rejoices in all the blessings the king receives. Jesus, on the other hand, chooses those not so blessed in the eyes of his co-religionists: tax collectors and sinners. When they question Jesus, he responds: “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have come to call not the righteous but sinners.”
You might examine your own attitude toward those who “have” versus the “have nots.” Are some more blessed than others? And yourself? Is Jesus calling you because you are righteous or because, as sinful, you have such a deep need for his mercy? Pray to know your need for God, and for our leaders in church and society to know how even more dependent they are on God’s mercy.
Jesus, thank you for eating with sinners, for eating with us. Help our church leaders to welcome all to the table of the Eucharist. Without everyone included, how can you yourself feel welcome?