"We know nothing of creeds here. Creeds change with the moving tides of human fickleness. We worship God, honour Christ love God’s word, and love our fellowman as ourselves.” The author
Your word is a lamp for my steps; it lights the path before me.
Psalm 119:105
Are you feeling marginalised, judged and mistreated by your group you worship in? There was a man two centuries ago who no doubt felt likewise.
Let’s look at Matthew.
Who was he? We know he was a Jew. His name was Levi. He was a tax collector in
the vicinity of Capernaum. He was considered a sinner in the society he functioned
in. He no doubt spent his life in the margins because of his occupation as an
employee of the Roman Government who were the occupying forces.
We also know that he knew
God’s word and was dedicated to God at birth since the nation of Israel were a
dedicated people.
One day his life changes.
“After this, Jesus went
out. He saw a tax collector named Levi. Levi was sitting at the place where
people came to pay taxes. Jesus said to him `Come with me.'
Levi left everything. He
stood up and went with Jesus.
Levi made a big dinner at
his house for Jesus. Many tax collectors and other people were sitting at the
table with them.
The Pharisees and their
scribes did not like what Jesus' disciples did. They said, `Why do you eat and
drink with tax collectors and bad people?"
Jesus answered them,
`People who are well do not need a doctor. But sick people need him.
I did not come to call
good people. I came to call bad people to stop doing wrong things.'
— Matthew
9: 9-13
Allow me to ask you a
question: does your religion shun people because they are considered sinners in
the pharisaical sense? For example, they have slipped into sin, left your religion,
have traits you do not like. Or like me and my friends, they like to read and interpreted
God’s word on their own rather than being subject to the shifting doctrines of
man. It is no coincidence that the New Testament gives considerable space to the judgmental attitude of the pharisees. We need to be cautious.
If there was a religious
group who follow the Bible in the way that God intended, I would be with them.
We know nothing of creeds here
"We know nothing of creeds here. Creeds change with the moving tides of human fickleness. We worship God, honour Christ love God’s word, and love our fellowman as ourselves.” The author
Image by https://unsplash.com/@clarissemeyer
Your word is a lamp for my steps;
it lights the path before me.
Psalm 119:105
Are you feeling marginalised, judged and mistreated by your group you worship in? There was a man two centuries ago who no doubt felt likewise.
Let’s look at Matthew. Who was he? We know he was a Jew. His name was Levi. He was a tax collector in the vicinity of Capernaum. He was considered a sinner in the society he functioned in. He no doubt spent his life in the margins because of his occupation as an employee of the Roman Government who were the occupying forces.
We also know that he knew God’s word and was dedicated to God at birth since the nation of Israel were a dedicated people.
One day his life changes.
“After this, Jesus went out. He saw a tax collector named Levi. Levi was sitting at the place where people came to pay taxes. Jesus said to him `Come with me.'
Levi left everything. He stood up and went with Jesus.
Levi made a big dinner at his house for Jesus. Many tax collectors and other people were sitting at the table with them.
The Pharisees and their scribes did not like what Jesus' disciples did. They said, `Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and bad people?"
Jesus answered them, `People who are well do not need a doctor. But sick people need him.
I did not come to call good people. I came to call bad people to stop doing wrong things.'
— Matthew 9: 9-13
Allow me to ask you a question: does your religion shun people because they are considered sinners in the pharisaical sense? For example, they have slipped into sin, left your religion, have traits you do not like. Or like me and my friends, they like to read and interpreted God’s word on their own rather than being subject to the shifting doctrines of man. It is no coincidence that the New Testament gives considerable space to the judgmental attitude of the pharisees. We need to be cautious.
If there was a religious group who follow the Bible in the way that God intended, I would be with them.
Scripture taken from The Voice™. Copyright © 2012 by Ecclesia Bible Society. Used by permission. All rights reserved.