From today’s reading...
When he went out after this, he noticed a tax collector, Levi by name, sitting at the tax office, and said to him, ‘Follow me.’ And leaving everything Levi got up and followed him.” Luke 5:27-28
I’ve had the great pleasure in life to deal with government tax extortionists on a couple of occasions in my business dealings over the years. One was from the IRS. One was from the People’s Republic of Kalifornia.
The IRS staff were actually reasonable, and things worked out in my favor.
The money mob from Kalifornia was petty, vindictive, incompetent, and drunk with power, yet, that encounter also worked out in my favor.
So it seems those placed in power to confiscate the earnings of their hard-working, productive, non-parasitic neighbors have always abused that power, at least for the last 2,000 years or so, which makes today’s reading all the more impactful.
Levi had great power and wealth as a tax collector.
To walk away from that comfortable but corrupt life immediately upon hearing the call of Jesus is a powerful example to us that it is never too late to turn our lives around by accepting the call of Jesus, which is the only way to...
Stay the course.
Keep the faith.
Endure.
Now go sell something.