利未遇见了耶稣。
你或许已听过这句话：“教会不是一所展示圣人的博物馆，它乃是一间为罪人而设的医院。”说这句话的人，大有可能是基于耶稣在这段经文所说的话有感而发的。
利未是一个税吏，当耶稣在利未家中吃饭时，也有其他税吏和罪人在其中。
税吏协助罗马帝国向当地人民收税，社会人士因此不喜欢他们；为了要支取薪酬，他们为自己的利益收取额外的税款，结果人们更憎恨他们了。在马可福音2章中，宗教领袖们便批评耶稣，说祂与税吏和罪人一起。
然而耶稣提醒宗教领袖们，祂来正是为了要拯救罪人。耶稣把祂的爱赐给每一个人，包括罪人在内；而事实上，既然人人都犯了罪，那些知道他们是罪人的，或许更容易承认他们需要耶稣，因为他们不会有骄傲从中作梗。
我们必须非常坦白地承认，我们都是需要神恩典的罪人。我们可以有勇气认罪，因为耶稣已经准备好来接纳我们了。若罪是疾病，耶稣便是解药。
医治的神，我承认我是一个需要你恩典的罪人。感谢你差遣耶稣到来；祂赦免我的罪、医治我、又叫我成为完全。阿们。
马可福音 2:13-17
13耶稣又出到海边去，众人都就了他来，他便教训他们。
14耶稣经过的时候，看见亚勒腓的儿子利未坐在税关上，就对他说：“你跟从我来！”他就起来跟从了耶稣。
15耶稣在利未家里坐席的时候，有好些税吏和罪人与耶稣并门徒一同坐席，因为这样的人多，他们也跟随耶稣。
16法利赛人中的文士看见耶稣和罪人并税吏一同吃饭，就对他门徒说：“他和税吏并罪人一同吃喝吗？”
17耶稣听见，就对他们说：“康健的人用不着医生，有病的人才用得着。我来本不是召义人，乃是召罪人。”
“It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” - Mark 2:17
Levi met Jesus.
Maybe you’ve heard the saying “The church is not a museum of saints but a hospital for sinners.” Whoever said that might well have based it on Jesus’ words in this passage.
Levi was a tax collector, and when Jesus had dinner at Levi’s house, they were joined by other tax collectors and sinners.
Tax collectors helped the Roman Empire by collecting money from the local people, so they were not very popular in the community. To help pay themselves, they were also known for collecting extra money for their own pockets, which made them even more disliked. In Mark 2, we hear that the religious leaders criticized Jesus for spending time with tax collectors and sinners.
But Jesus reminded the religious leaders that sinners were exactly the kind of people he had come to save. Jesus offered his love to everyone, even sinners. In fact, since every person sins, it may be easier for those who know they are sinners to admit that they need Jesus. They do not have so much of their own pride getting in the way.
It is wonderfully honest to admit that we are sinners in need of God’s grace. We can have the courage to make that confession because Jesus is ready to receive us. If sin is the sickness, Jesus is the cure.
Healing God, I confess that I am a sinner in need of your grace. Thank you for sending Jesus; he forgives my sin, heals me, and makes me whole. Amen.
诵读: 骆云秀
片头: 张妙阳
