A
Reflection on Mark 2:13-17
Jesus walks along
the sea and calls Levi, a tax collector, to follow him. In that world, tax
collectors were despised, seen as traitors who worked for the Roman occupiers
and often cheated their own people. Yet Jesus doesn't hesitate. He sees Levi at
his tax booth, calls him, and Levi immediately leaves everything behind. Then
Jesus does something even more shocking: he goes to Levi's house and eats with
a whole crowd of tax collectors and sinners. When the religious leaders'
question this, Jesus gives them a truth that echoes through the ages:
"Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do. I did not
come to call the righteous but sinners."
Today's scripture reveals the heart of our Catholic faith: Jesus came not for the
perfect, but for the broken. He came for those who know they need mercy. The
Pharisees, so focused on their own righteousness, couldn't understand why Jesus
would associate with sinners. But Jesus shows us that God's love isn't earned
through perfection; it's freely given to those who acknowledge their need for
him. Every time we pray the Rosary, especially the Sorrowful Mysteries, we
meditate on how Jesus embraced suffering and shame for our sake. He carried the
cross through streets lined with people who mocked him, just as he walked into
Levi's house despite the criticism. The Rosary reminds us that Jesus never
backed away from loving those the world rejected.
When we hold our rosary beads and pray, we're doing what Levi did, we're
responding to Jesus's call. Each Hail Mary is a small "yes" to
following him, even when it's uncomfortable or countercultural. The repetition
of the Rosary teaches us that discipleship isn't about one grand moment: it's
about choosing Jesus again and again, day after day. Just as Levi left his tax
booth immediately, we're called to leave behind whatever keeps us from Jesus, our
pride, our comfort, our fear of what others think. Mary, whose intercession we
seek in every Rosary, said her own "yes" to God when it made no
earthly sense, and she stood by Jesus even at the foot of the cross when others
fled.
Today's Gospel challenges us to examine our hearts. Are we like the Pharisees,
judging others and thinking we're better because we follow the rules? Or are we
like Levi and his friends, recognizing that we're sinners in desperate need of
a physician? Jesus doesn't call us because we have it all together. He calls us
precisely because we don't. The beautiful truth of our Catholic faith is that
we're all invited to the feast, no matter how broken we are. The Eucharist we
receive at Mass is Jesus continuing to dine with sinners, offering himself to
heal us from the inside out. We don't have to clean ourselves up before coming
to him, he meets us right where we are.
Questions
to Consider:
·
When
have I felt unworthy of Jesus's love, and how does this Gospel passage speak to
that feeling?
·
Who
are the "tax collectors and sinners" in my life or community that I
might be avoiding or judging, and how is Jesus calling me to see them
differently?
·
What
would it look like for me to "leave my tax booth" today, what
comfort, habit, or attitude might Jesus be asking me to abandon to follow him
more closely?
·
As
I pray the Rosary, how can I let Mary's example of saying "yes" to
God inspire me to respond more generously to Jesus's call in my own life?
·
In
what ways am I like the Pharisees, focused on my own righteousness rather than
on mercy, and how can I cultivate a heart that recognizes my need for the
Divine Physician?
©2026 James Dacey, Jr., OFS
