那時候,耶穌出去,看見一個稅吏,名叫肋未,在稅關那裡坐著,便對他說:「跟隨我吧!」他便捨棄一切,起來跟隨了他。肋未在自己家中為他擺設了盛筵,有許多稅吏和其他的人,與他們一同坐席。法利塞人和他們的經師就憤憤不平,對他的門徒說:「你們為什麼同稅吏和罪人一起吃喝?」耶穌回答他們說:「不是健康的人需要醫生,而是有病的人。我不是來召叫義人,而是召叫罪人悔改。」
路加福音 5:27-32
耶穌做的事往往出人意表,誰會想到祂會召叫最被人輕視、公認為大罪人的稅吏為門徒? 在舊約中,天主對撒慕爾說:「天主的看法與人不同:人看外貌,上主卻看人心。」 (撒上 16:7) 耶穌不在乎肋未犯過什麼過失,祂看到的是這個人的潛力,祂看到的是悔改以後的那位肋未--那位將會成為福音作者之一的瑪竇。
耶穌愛罪人,祂不怕貶低身份,願意走到我們中間,為的是要拯救我們。祂對罪人的愛使祂一步一步走近十字架。當我們面對一些被輕視的人,當我們要為這些人作犧牲時,讓我們記起耶穌作的榜樣。
Jesus saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at the customs post. He said to him, “Follow me.” And leaving everything behind, he got up and followed him. Then Levi gave a great banquet for him in his house, and a large crowd of tax collectors and others were at table with them. The Pharisees and their scribes complained to his disciples, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” Jesus said to them in reply,
“Those who are healthy do not need a physician, but the sick do. I have not come to call the righteous to repentance but sinners.”
Luke 5:27-32
Jesus has done many things that surprised us. Who would have thought He would choose an immoral outcast to be His disciple? In the Old Testament, the Lord said to Samuel: "God does not see as a mortal, who sees the appearance. The Lord looks into the heart." (1 Samuel 16:7) Jesus did not look at the sins committed by Levi, what He saw was Levi's potential, the person who he can be -- Matthew, one of the authors of the Gospels.
Jesus loves sinners. He humbles Himself to come into our midst. His love for sinner motivated Him to walk towards Calvary. When we are called to sacrifice for those who are despised, let us remember the example Jesus set before us.