Reading I
Is 58:9b-14
Thus says the LORD:
If you remove from your midst oppression,
false accusation and malicious speech;
If you bestow your bread on the hungry
and satisfy the afflicted;
Then light shall rise for you in the darkness,
and the gloom shall become for you like midday;
Then the LORD will guide you always
and give you plenty even on the parched land.
He will renew your strength,
and you shall be like a watered garden,
like a spring whose water never fails.
The ancient ruins shall be rebuilt for your sake,
and the foundations from ages past you shall raise up;
“Repairer of the breach,” they shall call you,
“Restorer of ruined homesteads.”
If you hold back your foot on the sabbath
from following your own pursuits on my holy day;
If you call the sabbath a delight,
and the LORD’s holy day honorable;
If you honor it by not following your ways,
seeking your own interests, or speaking with maliceB
Then you shall delight in the LORD,
and I will make you ride on the heights of the earth;
I will nourish you with the heritage of Jacob, your father,
for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.
Gospel
Lk 5:27-32
Jesus saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at the customs post.
He said to him, “Follow me.”
And leaving everything behind, he got up and followed him.
Then Levi gave a great banquet for him in his house,
and a large crowd of tax collectors
and others were at table with them.
The Pharisees and their scribes complained to his disciples, saying,
“Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?”
Jesus said to them in reply,
“Those who are healthy do not need a physician, but the sick do.
I have not come to call the righteous to repentance but sinners.”
Meditation: Luke 5:27-32
Have you ever heard of something called a wellness program?
The idea is to develop a lifestyle that will keep you healthy and make you less vulnerable to illnesses that require a doctor’s attention. A good wellness program will include a balanced diet, regular exercise, the right vitamin supplements, and regular physical checkups.
What does this have to do with today’s Gospel reading? Well, Jesus told the Pharisees and scribes:”Those who are healthy do not need a physician, but the sick do” (Luke 5:31). Because he consorted with prostitutes and other obvious sinners, Levi was himself probably spiritually “sick.” So it was only natural that Jesus, the divine Physician, would reach out to him.
Not all of Jesus’ disciples were in such bad shape. Andrew, for instance, was a devoted follower of John the Baptist before he met Jesus. And James and John were probably hardworking fishermen, devoted family men, and faithful Jews. Most likely, these men were in decent shape spiritually. But they followed Jesus because they recognized how much his spiritual medicine could help them live even fuller, healthier lives.
How healthy are you spiritually? You may not fall into the “major sinner” category that would apply to someone like Levi, so you may not need radical surgery. But what about those nagging aches and pains caused by anxiety, minor resentments, or “small” offenses against God’s commandments? None of us is perfectly healthy. We all need Jesus’ healing touch in one way or another. And that’s why we all should follow a spiritual wellness program.
What would such a program look like? Instead of vitamins, it would call for a daily regimen of prayer and Scripture reading to give us the energy we need to stay focused on the Lord. It would include exercise as well—the exercise of our wills to let in all that is good and reject all that is bad. It would include a steady diet of the body and blood of Christ to keep us filled with Jesus’ life and connected with our brothers and sisters in the church. So why not join the Lord’s wellness center today? You’ll be glad you did.
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