Part 5 (2/2)
Onehe went down to the shore of the Sea of Galilee When he came back to the town, he had four disciples with him
Two of them were brothers named Simon and Andrew Andrew remembered Jesus, for he had once been a disciple of John the Baptist He had seen John point to Jesus, and heard him say, ”He is the Lamb of God!”
Andrew had told Si the shore of the Sea of Galilee, he found the a net into the water, for Andrew and Simon were fishermen
Jesus said to them,
”Come and followwas good business, but Siive it up to follow the man John had called ”the Lamb of God” They came aith him at once
[Illustration]
[Illustration]
Farther along the shore was another pair of brothers One of them had also been with John the Baptist Their names were James and John, and they ith their father, Zebedee They had done so well at fishi+ng that they could afford to have servants to help them But when Jesus called them they also came at once, and left their father and the servants behind
That was four to start with, and soon he had eight others But no one of them was a very important person, and people said that one of them icked That was Levi, as also called Matthew The trouble with Levi was that he was a taxgatherer Everybody hated taxgatherers
They were called ”publicans,” and it was thought that no one could be much lower than a publican
The publicans worked for the Roovernment They were not Romans themselves, but Jehich made it all the worse They were looked upon as traitors, for they collected the taxes for the hated Ro the people
Levi's job was to collect the fee for traveling along the road, and what he could collect over and above the aed, he kept for hi He heard hiin to live a new life When Jesus came to Levi's table one day, and said, ”Follow me,” just as he had said it to the honest fishermen by the lake shore, Levi was ready to co behind, and all his fortune Levi became a disciple like the other eleven, and was treated like the rest
But other people were shocked when they saw a publican with Jesus, and tongues began to wag No one see taxes He had been a publican once, and no one except Jesus was ready to give him a second chance
Other publicans someti with many people ere looked down upon in the cory when they saw the company that Jesus kept One day they came to one of these dinner parties, and told the disciples that they did not care for Jesus' choice of friends
”How is it,” they asked, ”that your master eats and drinks with publicans and sinners?”
Jesus heard them, and replied:
”It is not well people who need a doctor, but the sick I didn't coood people, such as you think that you are, but for the sake of sinners--to lead them into a new life”
But the Pharisees still objected They said:
”Look at John the Baptist John is a good o without their !”
”Why shouldn't they eat and feast and be merry?” Jesus answered ”They are like the friends of areat feast They are joyful because the bridegroom is with them In the same way my disciples are joyful because they have me with them”
Jesus meant that they were joyful because he was the Messiah, and his disciples were glad to be with him But he did not say that he was the Messiah, and no one knehat he was talking about The Pharisees would have had more respect for hiht do, but not publicans and sinners of that sort! If only Jesus were more like John the Baptist!