Light in the Darkness

Today’s Reading:  Mark 2:13-17

So what made Levi different?  Out of all those people, why did Jesus choose him?  I don’t have an answer for that, but I have to wonder if I were there would he have picked me?  While I don’t know Levi well, I wonder if these tax collectors and ‘sinners’ were friends of his or if they were some of the ones following Jesus.  I say this because they were all at Levi’s house eating dinner, so I feel like they were probably friends of Levi.  Anyway, I have always found it extremely interesting that Jesus associated himself with not only the common people, but with people that were not considered so upstanding in the community and churches.  Why?  Do you think if Jesus went directly to the synagogues and associated himself with the elders and priests that they would have believed that he was the Son of God?  If he had done this do you think that the tax collectors, prostitutes, and sinners would have felt comfortable around Jesus---would they have even attempted to seek him?  Jesus answered my questions when he said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.  I have not come to call the righteous, but the sinners” (vs. 17).  I am reminded that while it is nice, comfortable, and easy to be around Christians, those are not the people that I am called to witness to.  While I know that my life is a witness, good or bad, to everyone that sees me, God has called me to be a light in the darkness and it is those people that are living in darkness that need to see the light of Jesus that shines within me more than anyone else.   So as I read these scriptures and write this blog I feel the Holy Spirit speaking to my heart and reminding me that this path that God has set before me is not meant to be easy.  In fact, it is too difficult for me to manage on my own, but with God the difficulties turn into faith and this faith gives me a Christ-like strength that I cannot get from the path of ease.  I have a choice I can sit back, relax and take the easy path by not stepping out, but accepting where I am and never wanting to change or I can jump, jump onto the path that is meant for me, the path that was created just for me, the path already traveled by Jesus for my sake.  Will I follow Jesus’ example and be the light in the darkness?  Will I be the person that ‘sinners’ recognize as a Christian?  Am I humble enough to make even the worst sinner feel the love that Jesus has given me to share?  A light can only shine it’s brightest in the darkest of places, if we are called to be the light of the world, than we are meant to shine so that the ones who need the light the most can see it.