Mark 2:13-17
He went out again beside the sea; and all the crowd gathered about him, and he taught them. And as he passed on, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax office, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him. And as he sat at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners were sitting with Jesus and his disciples; for there were many who followed him. And the scribes of the Pharisees, when they saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, said to his disciples, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?” And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick; I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”
Homily:
Who do you name and shame as a sinner?
A prostitute? A murderer? A thief? A slanderer? An adulterer?
To understand the context of the above scripture, first, you need to replace “the scribes of the Pharisees” with your name, and answer the question – Who would I see Jesus dining with, that will make me recoil?
If you do not have an answer to that question, search deeper.
If you have an answer, go to those people and help to open the door of their hearts. Jesus has been standing just outside, waiting for them to open the door to him. To open the door of their hearts, you must first open yours, by rejecting prejudice.
I know what you might be saying, “Are you out of your mind? Go and meet a prostitute to talk about Jesus? I cannot even be seen with one”. In the process of acting against your own judgment of condemnation, and opening yourself up to share a part of you with who the world abhors, you walk in the steps of Jesus. This is a key for opening the door.
He calls for sinners, answer.