Are you worthy? Am I worthy? Far too many people I find struggle, even at a subconscious level about whether or not they are worthy of Jesus’s love and attention.
Perhaps this comes from a feeling of self in-adequacy or lack of self-confidence in other aspects of our life.
I have been reflecting on Mark’s gospel, chapter 2 where Jesus calls Levi. He says to him, “follow me.” Then shortly after we hear of Jesus eating and socializing with tax collectors and sinners – whoever those unfortunate people happen to be labelled as “sinners.”
Tax collectors and sinners and all points in between causes some wondering questions about Jesus’s behaviour. Why, in his right mind, would he want to be associated with “those people?” The very people who are agents of the government who take the good hard-earned money of everyday ordinary folk and give it to the rich and entitled. It doesn’t make sense.
What we learn from Jesus in this passage is that yes of course the tax collectors are worthy of Jesus’s time and attention. If the worst of the worst are worthy of Jesus, then surely you and I are also just as worthy.
We are made for Jesus and loved by God no matter how long our list of failures and wrong doings may be. We are loved by God, made for goodness, and made for God’s work in our world, as broken and flawed as it can be at times.
Despite our shortcomings and how many times we get the wrong end of the stick, Jesus calls us to be the hands and feet that Jesus uses in the world.
Jesus is not interested in perfection, but faithfulness in response to where we are called by God.
