Mark 2:13-17

Read Psalm 6

Mark 2:13-17
13 He went out again beside the sea, and all the crowd was coming to him, and he was teaching them. 14 And as he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him.

15 And as he reclined at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners were reclining with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. 16 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?” 17 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.”

Read Mark 2:13-17 section from Tom Wright’s book

Questions for Mark 2:13-17
1. Levi works for the people that the Jews view as being the very ones that are preventing the kingdom of God from coming. What might have been some of the people’s perceptions of Jesus’ befriending Levi?
2. Both Jesus and the Jews want to see the kingdom of God manifested, with the result being a radical transformation occurring in the world. However, Jesus and the Jews have very different ideas as to how this radical transformation will be brought about.
a. In what ways do the way of Jesus and the way of the Jews differ in how they believe radical transformation will occur?
b. In what ways are we as Christians much like a lot of the Jewish people in Jesus’ day in how we believe the world will be transformed?
3. What does verse 17 tell us about what the mission of Jesus was when He was here on earth as a human?
4. Is the mission of Jesus the same today as it was while He was still on earth as a human? Why or why not?
5. What are some practical things we can do to be used by God to share Christ with other people in our daily lives?