01. Would Jesus Want Someone Like Me Around?
Perhaps you have stayed away from Jesus because you assumed He would want you to.
You know your history.
The decisions you regret. The people you hurt. The things you would rather nobody discover.
Perhaps someone religious made you feel unwelcome. Perhaps you have never been inside a church and cannot imagine fitting in.
Somewhere along the way, you reached a conclusion:
Jesus probably wouldn’t want someone like me around.
Before you settle that question, watch what He does in Luke 5:27-32.
Jesus approaches a tax collector named Levi, sitting at his tax booth.
Tax collectors were often viewed as collaborators with the Roman authorities and associated with dishonest gain. Levi belonged to a group many people despised.
Jesus knew whom He was approaching.
And He called Levi to follow Him.
No record of Levi first repairing his reputation. No waiting period to prove he deserved attention.
Jesus approached him where he was.
The man others looked down on was someone Jesus called to follow Him.
Levi got up, left everything, and followed.
Then he hosted a great banquet for Jesus at his house. A large crowd of tax collectors and others joined them.
Imagine that table.
People with reputations. People with complicated lives. People religious leaders preferred to keep at a distance.
And Jesus was eating with them.
Would you have expected to find Him there?
Some religious leaders objected. They asked His disciples why they ate and drank with tax collectors and sinners.
Jesus answered with the picture of a physician: healthy people do not need a doctor; sick people do. He explained that He had come to call sinners to repentance.
Repentance means turning away from sin and toward God.
Jesus saw their need clearly. He came close enough to call them into a different life.
Your need for mercy is a reason to approach Jesus.
Think about how we respond when something is wrong with our bodies.
We may feel embarrassed. We may wish we had taken better care of ourselves. We may fear what the doctor will discover.
But staying away leaves the problem untreated.
Could you be doing something similar with Jesus?
Perhaps you keep saying, Someday, when I get my life together.
But what if you need His help to begin?
Perhaps you think, I have too many questions.
You can begin reading His story with those questions still in your mind.
Perhaps you say, You don’t know what I’ve done.
I don’t.
Yet the Jesus who called Levi was fully aware that the people around that table needed forgiveness and change.
He chose to be there.
That gives you a reason to take another look at Him.
It also gives you a question to face.
If Jesus welcomes you and calls you to follow Him, will you respond?
Levi could have stayed at his booth. He could have admired Jesus from a distance, appreciated His kindness, and continued with life as usual.
Instead, he got up.
His response became a step he actually took.
You may not understand everything about Jesus today. You may have wounds, doubts, or habits you hardly know how to face.
Begin by discovering what He says and does.
Open the Bible to Luke 5:27-32. Read it slowly.
Notice whom Jesus approaches. Notice what He invites Levi to do. Notice how Levi responds.
Then ask yourself:
Have I ruled myself out before discovering what Jesus actually says?
This week, name what makes you hesitant to approach Him.
You can put it into an honest prayer:
“Jesus, I have been afraid You wouldn’t want me. I have questions, and there are things in my life I need to face. Help me discover who You really are. Give me courage to respond to You.”
If you would like someone to read this story with you, message me. You can bring your questions.
Levi’s story began with Jesus approaching him, and Levi getting up. What step will you take?
Terry Ruff
DMM Catalyst & Zúme Trainer | Missionary at Northside Christian Church
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