Psalm: 88 Meditation Mark: Jesus is in the midst of choosing His disciples; this time it was Levi (Matthew) who was being called. The only flaw here is that Levi was a tax collector. I hope we all appreciate that tax collectors for Rome meant collaborators. That put the tax man in the same company …
Tag: Tax Collector
Friday, February 26
Psalm 95, 40 Meditation: Mark – Not only does this passage show Jesus eating in the house of tax collector with other tax collectors and sinners, it also shows him asserting that he is the one they were preparing for. The fasting of John’s followers and the Pharisee’s disciples was in preparation for the coming …
Wednesday, February 17
Ash Wednesday Psalm 95 Meditation: Luke –Whether you hold to the traditional Christian calendar or not, the purpose of Lent is to remind us of our need for a Savior and the cost that our Savior needed to pay for us. The tax collector in the parable has a truly Lenten spirit. And as we …
Wednesday, July 15
Psalms: 119:25-48 Meditation Mark: This is the calling of Levi whom we know as Matthew. Levi was a tax collector regarded by self-respecting Jews as akin to a traitor or collaborator with Rome. Mark, though, distinguished tax collectors from “sinners”. Later in this reading Jesus talks about applying a new patch on an old garment …
Tuesday, June 9
Psalm: 62 Meditation Luke: I’ve always thought it was interesting that Jesus knew Zacchaeus’ name. Someone must have old Him (no matter). Because Zacchaeus was a tax collector he was regarded as a collaborator with the Romans. Strike one. He was rich, probably from ill-gotten gain. Strike two. He was viewed as a sinner. You’re …
Friday, June 5
Psalm: 51:1-17 Meditation Luke: The Pharisee and the tax collector. This is a very familiar parable of Jesus. Paul, himself a Pharisee, tells us “the just shall live by faith” (Romans 1:17; Habakkuk 2:4), and he would know. Pharisees were, by and large, good people whose heart was to adhere to the Law. They were …
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