February 27, 2000

Mark 2:13-22 (CEV)

Once again, Jesus went to the shore of Lake Galilee. A large crowd gathered around him, and he taught them. As he walked along, he saw Levi, the son of Alphaeus. Levi was sitting at the place for paying taxes, and Jesus said to him, "Come with me!" So he got up and went with Jesus.

Later, Jesus and his disciples were having dinner at Levi's house. Many tax collectors and other sinners had become followers of Jesus, and they were also guests at dinner.

Some of the teachers of the Law of Moses were Pharisees, and they saw that Jesus was eating with sinners and tax collectors. So they asked his disciples, "Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?"

Jesus heard them and answered, "Healthy people don't need a doctor but sick people do. I didn't come to invite good people to be my followers. I came to invite sinners."

The followers of John the Baptist and the Pharisees often went without eating. Some people came and asked Jesus, "Why do the followers of John and those of the Pharisees often go without eating, while your disciples never do?"

Jesus answered:
     The friends of a bridegroom don't go without eating while he is still with them. But the time will come when he will be taken from them. Then they will go without eating.
     No one patches old clothes by sewing on a piece of new cloth. The new piece would shrink and tear a bigger hole.
     No one pours new wine into old wineskins. The wine would swell and burst the old skins. Then the wine would be lost, and the skins would be ruined. New wine must be put into new wineskins.

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1. Reflect on your life. Everything OK? How wonderful! Go on your way. Jesus can't call you to a new way of life.

2. Reflect on your life. Everything not OK? How wonderful! Time to go another way! Jesus came to call you to a new way of life.

3.

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