The Law in 90 Days: Leviticus 13-15
SCRIPTURE READING
Mark 2:14b (NIV); “Follow Me,” Jesus told him, and Levi got up and followed Him.
The Jewish rabbi was a religious leader who was given the authoritative right to discern the meaning
of a “righteous life” according to the Scriptures. Righteous living was essential to the first-century
Jew, who valued upright behaviour over the condition and intent of the heart. It was up to the rabbi to
teach his disciples to discern the Scriptures and the behaviour that God required.
It was Jewish tradition for an interested young man to approach a rabbi and request a position as
his disciple. The rabbi, then, would either accept or reject him. But Jesus came on the scene with
a different approach; He called His own disciples. Not only that, but those that he chose were not
always the most upstanding of citizens. Levi (who is the same person as the disciple Matthew) was
a tax collector, and therefore was despised by pious Jews who were against any sort of collaboration
with the Romans. In the following verses, we see Jesus openly criticized by the Pharisees for
sharing a meal with Levi and his fellow tax collectors. “Why does he eat with tax collectors and
sinners?” they asked. “On hearing this, Jesus said to them, ‘It is not the healthy who need a doctor,
but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.’”
This month we will be discovering what it means to be a follower of Christ. Jesus has invited you to
be his disciple. With all of your imperfections, character struggles and bad habits, Jesus is saying
“follow Me.” Jesus has called you to follow Him. How will you respond?
PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. Take a few moments to think about the words “follower of Christ.” What does this mean to you?
What about the word “Christian”?
2. How do you feel when you hear that Jesus has invited you to follow Him? Do you feel
honoured? Unworthy? If Jesus randomly walked up to you and said “follow me,” what do you
think might keep you from eagerly jumping up and saying “Yes, Lord!”
3. Ask the Holy Spirit to prepare your heart for what He wants to show you this month. Ask Him to
give you a spiritual goal for the month.
