Saturday 16 February

Isaiah 58:9-14, Ps.86, Luke 5:27-32

Improbable friends

Tax collectors, in Jesus’ time, were some of the most disliked and distrusted members of society. They weren’t poor (anything but} but drunk or disreputable. They made their money by cheating their fellow countrymen and by serving the occupying power, the Romans. It’s hard to find an exact equivalent in our time, but if we imagine Jesus dining with a child abuser it may give us some understanding of peoples’ reaction. A horrifying thought, but a reminder that no one, absolutely no one, is beyond God’s mercy and compassion. Repentance and forgiveness are available to everyone.