1/17/2026 (Saturday) Today’s Gospel reading: Mark 2:13-17

13 Jesus went out along the sea. All the crowd came to him and he taught them.
14 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.
15 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.
16 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?”
17 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.”

1/17/2026 (Saturday) Today’s Gospel reflection / homily / sermon: Mark 2:13-17

The scene unfolds along an ordinary road where people pass by every day. In the midst of routine life, Jesus notices someone most others deliberately ignore. The man is sitting at a tax booth, a place associated with dishonesty, compromise, and social rejection. To the religious community, he is a lost cause, someone beyond redemption. Yet Jesus does not look away. He sees not a label, but a person. And with a simple invitation, everything changes.

This encounter reminds us that God’s grace often interrupts life in unexpected places. It does not wait for perfect timing or moral readiness. Jesus calls someone right in the middle of his broken story, proving that transformation begins not with our worthiness but with God’s mercy. Today, this challenges the way we see people. In modern life, we also label others by their past mistakes, social status, political views, or failures. We pass judgment quickly, often without knowing their struggles. Yet Jesus models a different way: He sees potential where others see failure.

What follows is even more unsettling. Jesus chooses to share a meal with people known for questionable choices and damaged reputations. In that culture, eating together meant acceptance and relationship. This was not accidental; it was intentional grace. By sitting at the table with those on the margins, Jesus sends a clear message: God’s love is not reserved for the morally polished but offered freely to those who know they need it.

In today’s world, this scene might look like Jesus sitting with those society avoids such as the addict trying to recover, the ex-offender looking for a second chance, the single parent struggling to make ends meet, or the person canceled because of past mistakes. Too often, communities of faith remain distant, afraid of association or criticism. But Jesus shows us that true compassion is willing to cross uncomfortable boundaries.

Predictably, criticism follows. The religious observers question why Jesus associates with such people. Their concern is less about holiness and more about separation. They believe righteousness is preserved by distance. Jesus, however, reveals that true righteousness is expressed through engagement. Healing does not happen from afar; it requires presence. Grace does not isolate; it restores.

This challenges modern believers to examine our attitudes. Do we see faith as a badge that separates us from others, or as a calling that draws us closer to them? Churches can sometimes become safe spaces only for the already healed, forgetting those still searching for hope. But Jesus makes it clear: the mission is not about maintaining appearances; it is about restoring lives.

The heart of this passage reminds us that people are not problems to be avoided but lives to be healed. Jesus does not excuse wrongdoing, but He prioritizes relationship over rejection. Transformation follows acceptance, not the other way around. In a world that demands perfection before belonging, Jesus offers belonging that leads to transformation.

The invitation remains open today. Jesus still calls people from their broken places, still sits at tables where grace is needed most, and still challenges us to rethink what it means to live faithfully. The question is not whether grace should be given, but whether we are willing to extend it.

As followers of Christ, we are called to live with eyes that notice, hearts that welcome, and lives that reflect mercy. When we do, we become living reminders that no one is beyond hope and that God’s grace is always one invitation away.

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