Sermon Notes: Mark 2:13-17

Stephen Galloway

Good Morning Everyone, if you will, open up your Bibles we will be in Mark Chapter 2 this morning picking up where Eric left off last week. We will be Looking at Verses 13-17 today. 

I think before we jump into this text there is a few things that I want to say before we start into things this morning. First off, if at any point this morning I sound abrasive, hear me, this morning I am not preaching to you all this morning. I am preaching to my self in a multitude of ways. 

This passage has been convicting me for weeks and I have honestly dreaded doing this passage. Because there will be things we talk about this morning that I do not do well and the Holy Spirit has gone and taken a plow and has been tilling the field of my heart the whole time I have been preparing for this. 

So, I say that to communicate to you that its not you, its me. 

You know I do though think that is important for us to every once in a while to step back and get out of the daily minutia and to go make sure that our heading is still due north. For my self I know that I can be worried about making sure that all of the right tools are on the table, that the lights are turned down right, that everyone else is fed and hydrated, that the table is set to the right height for the operation, that the doctor has the kind of soap that he likes to wash his hands before the surgery. All while forgetting that I am the one that is meant to be laying on that table being ready and willing to be operated on. 

It’s a humbling reality at times. And I hope that this morning, if you know Christ or not that you would consider Him. Because there are things that he will do to your heart if you will just let him. 

There is a call, a command, and there is not standing still when that call is given. You either run to him, into his embrace, into his grace into his Love for you or you run away from him with every fiber of your being. Trying to get away, back to what ever reality you think that you are in so that you don’t have to be confronted with your own depravity. 

So with that said I think its best if we just jump into our text. Lets stand together and we will read:

 Mark 2:13-17 (On Screen)

So this is a phenomenal short little narrative. This section of scripture is what is called a pronouncement story. Which a pronouncement story is essentially a brief story or narrative with a memorable saying or proverb from Jesus that really ties it all together. And we have that here in that last verse as Jesus responds to the Pharisees. But we will get there in a little bit there is some ground work that we need to lay before we get to the meat of this passage cause there is a lot here that we can talk about. 

When we jump into this story or account we are dropped in right at the end of things right after Jesus has healed the paralytic that Eric spoke to last week. 

We don’t have any distinguishers of time but we can assume it hasn’t been long. So, there are already lots of things that we can begin to assume about what is going on around the area. We know that Jesus is being talked about, there is starting to be a buzz around town. You know how the rumor mill goes. You sit down at the right table at Lumina or swift and you get more than the cup of tea that you are drinking that morning.

But, what we find in that first verse of our text today is that even with the healings, the demons being cast out, with everything going on, Jesus goes right back to the core of his mission. Preaching the truths of the Kingdom. “The time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and Believe in the Kingdom.” 

As we go through Mark, we are going to read account after account of Jesus doing some miraculous things, but the core that he will always go back to is teaching and preaching. He never wants people to just see him as a miracle worker. But as the Messiah, recognizing that the Kingdom is at hand. 

But in the midst of Jesus coming and going from teaching and preaching he spots someone, sitting in a tax collectors booth. Levi. 

Now, to better understand what is happening here and with the rest our text today we have to better understand a bit more of the historical context of what a Tax Collector was during this period of time. I think we have a general understanding of that distaste right? This time of year is a perfect time to be talking about this right? Who here loves having to figure out how much you owe the government after they have already taken so much already?  

We do have a general understanding of what that is like but in this context it looks a little bit differently. Essentially the way that these tax collectors worked is the Roman Government would basically ask for Bids from Jewish Citizens for the Job of Tax Collector.

They would go to the Government and say, here is how much I can generate for you. and the Romans would sign off on it and send them on their way, so the tax collectors knew how much they needed to gather from the locals, from fisherman, from merchants traveling between kingdoms. 

That’s actually one big part of where we are at in Capernaum is because this was a major passing point between a couple of different kingdoms were merchants would pass through constantly. But the Tax Collectors knew what they had to give to the Romans, I owe them 5000 silver pieces, and anything else that they gathered they got to keep. It was an extremely lucrative deal which is why these positions were so sought after. 

But it came at a massive social cost. Tax Collectors, because of their shady practices and typically pretty rough approaches were seen as social outcasts in a similar vien to how the Leper was seen not just a few weeks ago. This was someone that the entire town hated. They would stay away from them. They would be shunned by their own family. 

Tax Collectors could not participate in the judicial system, they couldn’t be a witness in a case because they were seen as untrustworthy. And they were seen so unclean that they were not allowed to be walk into the synagogue to participate in worship. 

So they were Shunned, excluded and not even allowed to worship properly because of their job. 

So that is the context that is sitting over this booth that is sitting on the side of the road in this town as Jesus is passing by and Jesus, understanding all of that context of who is sitting there in that stand and does something remarkable in that moment. 

He stands there looking at Levi and says “Follow Me”

Oh my goodness, you can just about feel the air get sucked out of the room in that moment. Jesus, are you sure about that? Do you know who this man is? 

Think about the other disciples that are standing there in that moment too! There is a good chance that they have paid taxes to Levi before, Right now you have 4 Fisherman, you have Simon, Andrew, James and John all standing there, whoa Jesus, this man is a theft. He has sold him self out to the Government, You cant bring him along. You are to great for him to come and follow you. 

And instead Jesus says “Follow Me”

Jesus understands who Levi is, in fact he knows Levi better than anyone else. And yet, he calls Him. 

And what does Levi do. In the same theme that we have seen over an over again, Levi immediately stands up and follows him. In the Parrell account in Luke it says “And Leaving Everything, he rose and followed him.” 

The command is clear, the response is immediate and total. 

I think that we as a Church need to apologize to you if we in anyway have failed to portray the Gospel to you. If we in anyway have lowered the standard of the Gospel in a way so that its more palatable, so that the barrier to entry is a little bit lower, so that it can be a little bit easier to digest, then we have failed you. 

If we as the Church try to “fix” the Gospel to win people over to the message of Jesus by diluting it in anyway then we have completely missed it. And no wonder we get people that look at us and hear this soft message and say who cares? I’m a good person why should it matter to me? 

Levi, Follow Me! Yes Lord. 

There is nothing short than 100%. The call of Christ is clear, and it is leaving it all for the sake of Him. 

Levi, left literal money sitting on the table, and left it all for Christ. When that call is placed in front of us, when it comes not into our ears but to our heart, there is no standing still in that moment. You can try with all of your might to stand still before that call of the Holy spirit but there are only two options that are laid in front of you. You either run fully into his embrace or you run away with everything you have from it. There is no standing still. There is no neutral option in the Kingdom. 

And Levi, he chose Christ., and he never looked back. 

When we turn to Christ, we never look back, we are transformed in that moment, and everything that comes after that moment is shaped by that relationship with Him. 

And Levi Models that for us. What does Levi do right after this? He brings Jesus to his Home and he invites all of His friends to come and meet Jesus too! 

Verse 15. And as he, Jesus, reclined at table in his, Levi’s, house, many tax collectors and sinners were reclining with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. 

So Levi immediately after being called by Jesus threw essentially a party at his house. And brought in all of his coworkers, which considering his occupation was probably some of his only friends were other tax collectors. 

And this is where things start getting really fascinating. This phrase of “as he reclined at table.” Is significant to speak to the kind of meal that they were having. 

First off, in the Jewish culture, meal time was already an extremely intimate thing. Meal were not something that you just had with anyone. It wasn’t that long ago I stopped by Yummy Thai on Broad to pick up some basil fried rice to bring back home for dinner and I ordered our food, and before I could turn around this guy called out what book are you reading.

I had brought in a book to read while I  waited on the food and it was the No Sanity Required book that Brodie and the Snowbird team recently published. And so I came over to his table and he invited me to sit down with him and we talked for probably 30 mins while I waited on our food. He was just there by himself, he had his food, he was eating and we were just talking the whole time. I got to learn all about his life during that time. 

But in the context of Jewish circles you didn’t just sit down and eat with a random person that you have no idea who they were. To eat a meal with someone had a lot deeper of a meaning to it. To share a meal with someone, to break bread with them, meant that you were identifying with that person that you are with. 

Now, If you have read your bibles enough your brain should be running right now through all of the imagery of meals in the Bible because that adds another layer to those moments. But even to share a meal with someone you would have your informal meals where you would sit at a table, something like just a normal lunch or a breakfast but when you would have a formal meal you would recline. You would sit on couches and the setting was vastly different and more of an intimate time as you are there enjoying time with one another over this feast that has been prepared. 

 And that is what is happening here, Jesus is reclining, sharing a meal, breaking bread in the most intimate way that you can dine in the Jewish setting. In Levis Home, with taxes collectors and sinners.

Remember what we just talked about with tax collectors. They were seen as unclean by all respects because of the occupation that they chose and to associate with even one of them was abhorrent to the culture of that day but to then be found at a party full of Tax Collectors would be seen as downright despicable.

And here is where we now get introduced to the Pharisees for the first time in the book of Mark. 

There is a lot we can speak to in regards to these men. Because we can also make sure that we talk through the scribes and the pharisees because that is two different classifications of people. Which is actually why you have here where is says the Scribes of the Pharisees. 

So the Pharisees were a part of the Hasadeen Jewish sect. So if you have ever heard of a Hasidic Jew, this is the sect of Judaism that the Hasidic Jews of today come from. And honestly when you look at their traditions you have to have a lot of respect for the way that they hold the law. These Pharisees were immensely devote to the keeping of the Law, but and honestly this is a really good place to recognize how a good thing can turn into a bad thing. 

Because the way in which they held to the law was not in a way that really the law was ever really intended for. For example, as sort of interpretation of the law they made an additional 613 commandments to the law that you had to keep in order to be seen as ceremonially clean. 

248 of those were laws that you had to do and the other 365 were things you don’t do. So if you wanted to somehow keep to all of these it required a lot of work which is really what they devoted their whole lives to. But, for the sake of their own righteousness they choose to isolate themselves from essentially the rest of the population because even interactive with someone who was considered unclean by the standards of the law would mean that they in turn would be unclean too. 

So when they hear of Jesus from all of the buzz that is going on in town. This man who is this so called religious leader, who has been Healing people, casting out demons. This man that has got the whole town talking. They go out to find him and when they find him, he is among this group. This group of tax collectors and sinners reclining and eating. The unclean. That’s all they see. A group of unclean and Jesus. 

And they are confused, what is this guy doing? If this guy is someone who is important like we are why would he defile himself in this way. Doesn’t he need to stay clean by the standards of the law? 

And they are cowards about it too, they cant even go up to Jesus they have to go up to one of his disciples. Hey Simon, Buddy, what is going on here? Why is he eating with these people?

They have no idea, what to even do with what they are seeing because to them this is so unheard of. This goes against every thing that they understand about the law and they see Jesus right in front of their eyes and they are trying to process this information that they have. 

Okay, we have gotten these really weird reports about this guy, he apparently cast a demon, then a few days ago he was apparently healed a bunch of people over at some fisherman’s house, then that Lepar that I thought we had gotten ride of showed back up saying he was good now cause of this guy, then it was just yesterday that we got a report telling us that some paralyzed guy just got up and walked because Jesus healed him, but here he is. Dining with sinners. This cant be the same guy right? If this guy is so great then why would he be here at the tax collectors house? 

These guys are so blinded by their own self righteousness to see that Jesus being there with those people was his true purpose. And once Jesus hears this, he makes it known, why he is there. 

He says “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick, I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”

His purpose was to seek out the lost. Now, in this statement, is he saying that the Pharisees were in no need of saving? 

Not at all. 

Here is what Jesus is getting at, and it’s a theme that has stretched through this whole story that has been building since we were introduced to Levi. And its really the core theme of this passage. 

We all need to be saved, we just have to recognize it. 

Paul would later say in Romans, all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. But this is something that the Pharisess didn’t believe nor agree with. They had done everything that was required to be clean. They checked every check box, they had gone to church every Sunday, was a part of every bible study they were relatively good people. They had everything covered, they didn’t need any help like these other sinners did. 

But what they didn’t know is that they needed Jesus just as much as the Levi did. 

You know I am a pretty terrible patient when it comes to doctors. Gabby can attest to that, its only been recent that I have started to realize that it is important how I take care of my self. Like apparently the food you eat really impacts the way you feel every day almost like it’s the fuel your body runs off of apparently. Who knew right? 

I sure didn’t, I was always the rub some dirt on it and walk it off kind of guy no matter what is was. Ill be fine, Stephen you are dying, go to the hospital! NO!

I never understood that I had a need when it came to my own health and it took us as a family getting really sick in order for it to finally click in my head, oh man, this is something that I need. 

We need to be looked in the face and told. “You are dying” (Pause)

And the only way that you can get better is through Jesus Christ. There is no other way. 

It does not matter what you do, You can go your whole life doing everything “right,” go to church, lead a bible study, heck you can pastor a church and still end up in Hell if you do not have Christ. 

That’s what these pharisees missed. They failed to recognize their own need. They had been blinded by their own self-righteousness to miss that they were never righteous to begin with.  

If I in anyway, think that I can be saved by something that I can do, then I have missed the Gospel. Then I have missed everything, then I don’t understand the infinite being in which I have sinned against. I don’t understand the penalty in which I am rightfully due. And I don’t understand that there is nothing that I can do about it. 

Charles Spurgeon said “The first link between my soul and Christ is, not my goodness, but my badness; not my merit, but my misery; not my standing, but my falling; not my riches, but my need. He comes to visit his people, yet not to admire their beauties, but to remove their deformities; not to reward their virtues, but to forgive their sins.”

When will we recognize our need? 

When will we finally realize that we are sick? YOU ARE DYING. 

And our only hope is to come to the great physician of Jesus. Let him take upon himself your sickness, your sin, your difficulties, your pain, your suffering. Lay it all on him and he will make you well. There is joy, waiting for you that is deeper and richer than anything that you can imagine. 

And you just have to come to respond to his call. Follow me. 

Jesus Christ, the one who spoke all things into creation with the power of his word, who knitted you in your mothers womb, who knows you better than you will ever knows your self wants you to know him. Come this morning, lay your burdens on his, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matt 11:28-30)

Respond to the call. 

2. We must constantly recognize the need that we have. 

There are a lot of things that we worry about and we spend our time thinking about which are important things. Paying the Power bill is an important one to make sure that you remember to do. 

But when was the last time that we preached the gospel to our selves. To make sure that we haven’t reverted back to thinking that our salvation has anything to do with something that I can do. Do we recognize the weight of our own sin? 

Do we in any way think that we were a popular choice for the kingdom? Levi wasn’t a popular choice either! I am sure that the other disciples were there saying Jesus are you sure about this? 

And I am confident that when Jesus called to me that there were Angels in heaven whispering to each other, oh I don’t know that one, does Jesus know what he has done? 

Yes! Yes he does! He knows every sin that I have ever committed and yet he still called me saying Follow me! And every day we cannot forget that call, we cannot forget the depravity that we once walked in and yet Jesus still called to us. 

Will we fail to recognize the need that we have like the Pharisees or will we respond and say Yes Lord. 

3. Be with those who have a great need, and bring those people to the great physician of Jesus to be healed. 

The Christian life is not to be one of Isolation, nor assimilation, but that of Mission. 

We must be with those who are sick. Even if they don’t know that they are. We go to them and we share the love and the light of Jesus Christ. 

We cannot be shut up as a Body of believers hording the Gospel like we own it all to our selves. We must be in the world but not of the world. This passage does not give us free reign to go and sin. To go and party all night down town at the bars every night so that we can be a “light in the darkness.” 

I don’t know how many times I have heard someone use this passage when I was in collage to justify going to a party. 

Listen we can talk about the nuances of this if that is what you want to do sometime, but in order for us to share the gospel we have to be able to maintain our witness. If we are going to make the claim that we have been radically transformed by the gospel then there needs to be some evidence that this faith that you are claiming has some implications on the way that you live your life. 

And on the other side of that coin we cannot be the salt of the earth if we are shut up in a Jar away from the dangers of this world. We must be willing to sit with those who don’t know Jesus. 

And let me be the first to say this, as someone who works at a Christian organization, whose life revolves around Church, small group and youth. I don’t do this well, and those times that I have an opportunity to share the gospel with someone who needs to hear it I typically absolutely blunder it. I can think of two times recently that the conversation was right there, and I was scared to share with them the cure to their sickness. 

And those interactions have been eating me alive for weeks.  

This City, this state, this world needs to hear that they are dying. 

And there is no hope for them outside of Jesus Christ. And it is our job to take that word to them.

In a few minutes after we worship Ben is going to come back up and he is going to stand right here, he is going to read a passage of scripture over you and say three words to you. 

YOU. ARE. SENT. 

Is that something that we just hear? Cool service is over time to pick up the Chairs. Let me sneak out before someone asks me how I’m doing. 

Or…. Do we hear a call to action, of a body of people, who have been given responsibility to go, to make ground in the battle that is over this world. To make ground for the Kingdom of Heaven. 

We must Engage, we have been entrusted with the responsibility to share the Gospel. Don’t forsake the importance and the weight of that responsibility. 

4. We Worship. 

We have been rescued. We have been redeemed, and we have been called.. by the spotless lamb, who knew no sin and yet paid the cost, the debt that we owed. Not because we deserved it either, but he did it out of his love for us, he gave his life so that we could be reunited with him

As the Band comes up I want you to remember who it is that we are worshiping. We are not just worshiping a man who hung on a cross, but we are worshiping the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords who is worthy of our Praise. Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord. 

Hear the call, respond and worship him. 

Let pray, 

Ezekial 36:37-38. 

“Thus says the Lord God: This also I will let the house of Israel ask me to do for them: to increase their people like a flock. Like the flock for sacrifices, like the flock at Jerusalem during her appointed feasts, so shall the waste cities be filled with flocks of people. Then they will know that I am the Lord.”

Three things we find in this passage that the Lord says ask of me and I will do for them. 

To Increase us, to Make us Holy, and to Send us.