An Invitation To A Changed Life

Luke 5:29-32 (MSG)
²⁹ Levi gave a large dinner at his home for Jesus. Everybody was there, tax men and other disreputable characters as guests at the dinner.
³⁰ The Pharisees and their religion scholars came to his disciples greatly offended. "What is he doing eating and drinking with crooks and 'sinners'?"
³¹ Jesus heard about it and spoke up, "Who needs a doctor: the healthy or the sick?
³² I'm here inviting outsiders, not insiders—an invitation to a changed life, changed inside and out."

Once again Jesus does something that offends the Pharisees. Their history and perspective is all about being separate and clean. After all, they were the chosen people entrusted with the revelation of God from God Himself. Here was Jesus in a most intimate social encounter with those the Pharisees deemed undesirable and unworthy.

The irony here is that from God’s perspective there was no difference between the Pharisees and those they scorned. The angels in heaven might have asked the same question: “What is He doing?” Jesus emptied Himself and became one of us to heal a people who were lost and hurting. Why? The Bible says it is because He loves us.

He brings an invitation to a changed life. He asks if we want to be healed. He is willing. The question then becomes: are we willing?

What do you want Me to do?