Bishop Barron's Gospel Reflection January 19, 2019

Saturday, January 19, 2019

First Week in Ordinary Time

Mark 2:13-17

Friends, today’s Gospel recounts Jesus’ banqueting with Matthew and his friends after he calls him to be a disciple. The very first thing that Jesus does is to invite Matthew into intimacy with him, reclining around a table for a meal with friends. In this account, the Pharisees see Matthew’s intimacy with Jesus and they comment, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?" Notice that it never occurs to them that the influence might move from Jesus to the sinners rather than from the sinners to Jesus. And then Jesus’ wonderful comment: "Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do. I did not come to call the righteous but sinners." He is admitting that Matthew and his fellows are sinners. He is not in the least "soft" on sin. But he has come to bring precisely such people into intimacy with him. Saturday of the First Week in Ordinary Time Lectionary: 310 Reading 1 Heb 4:12-16 The word of God is living and effective, sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating even between soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart. No creature is concealed from him, but everything is naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must render an account. Since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens,    Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has similarly been tested in every way, yet without sin. So let us confidently approach the throne of grace to receive mercy and to find grace for timely help. Gospel Mk 2:13-17 Jesus went out along the sea. All the crowd came to him and he taught them. As he passed by, he saw Levi, son of Alphaeus, sitting at the customs post. Jesus said to him, "Follow me." And he got up and followed Jesus. While he was at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners sat with Jesus and his disciples; for there were many who followed him. Some scribes who were Pharisees saw that Jesus was eating with sinners and tax collectors and said to his disciples, "Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?" Jesus heard this and said to them, "Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do. I did not come to call the righteous but sinners."