“Speak up, speak out, get in the way. Get in good trouble, necessary trouble, and help redeem the soul of America.” This is a quote from former Congressman John Lewis, and it was inspired by the examples set by Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks. The idea is to challenge the status quo in a peaceful, nonviolent way.
It is not a stretch to say that Jesus was the original inspiration for this idea, as we have seen throughout our journey so far this year. A pillar of Jesus’ character is someone who pushed boundaries and challenged the misapplication of assumptions, rules, and the law of the day.
In today’s verse, Jesus calls Levi (Matthew), the tax collector, to be a disciple. Levi followed Jesus because he understood. Perhaps he was searching for a change; he just needed someone to show him. Later, Jesus has dinner with Levi and other guests who might be considered below or different. In other words, people who should be avoided because of their past actions.
For Jesus, this was an opportunity to challenge the status quo. Yes, perhaps these people were wrong and doing immoral things. They might have even recognized their need to change direction, but didn’t know where to turn, and others weren’t willing to take the chance or even associate with them.
As we have learned and will continue to hear throughout our own journey, Jesus’ message was available to all. Some would hear and listen while others would ignore his message.
Reflection:
- We are all presented with multiple opportunities throughout the day to engage with someone who might otherwise be overlooked or avoided. How can you step out of the status quo and take this step?
- In today’s passage, the religious leaders are demonstrating hard hearts. Jesus moves past them, and that is an essential part of the story, but was this another opportunity? With God, there are no mistakes, but in our own application, don’t give up too quickly.