“Then Levi held a great banquet for Jesus at his house, and a large crowd of tax collectors and others were eating with them.” Luke 5:29 (NIV)
Jesus changed Levi’s life. Shifting from being a tax collector to being a follower of Jesus, Levi wanted to honor Jesus by hosting a banquet at his house. Levi invited a large crowd of tax collectors along with others. The sinner chose to invite his fellow sinners to hear the Savior. Levi wanted his friends to experience the life transformation that comes through a personal relationship with Jesus. Levi provided them with the opportunity to be with Jesus.
At that point in Levi’s life, his sphere of influence included those who were despised by their fellow Jews. Tax collectors were not esteemed, but rather considered traitors. Yet, Levi reached out to them because he was one of them. Levi was willing to create an environment in his home to honor Jesus and to invite others to receive the salvation Jesus provides.
Think about the people God has placed in your life. Do you have a “Levi” in your sphere of influence? Is there anyone you have written off as unreachable? Remember that Jesus came to seek and to save the Lost (Luke 19:10).
- “But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” John 20:31 (NIV)
- “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” 2 Cor 5:17 (NIV)
Begin to pray for the “Levi” God has placed in your life. Watch for opportunities to build an intentional relationship with that person in order to share the plan of salvation with that person.
Pursuing God,
Stephen Trammell
Executive Pastor