Here’s something I hadn’t seen before, made possible by Mark’s bang-bang approach to the story of Jesus. He calls the original four disciples: Simon, Andrew, James, and John in chapter 1. He calls Levi (Matthew) in chapter 2, after which there’s a dinner party and exchange with the Pharisees:

He went out again beside the sea, and all the crowd was coming to him, and he was teaching them. And as he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him. And as he reclined at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners were reclining with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. And the scribes of the Pharisees, when they saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, said to his disciples, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?” And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.” (Mark 2.13 – 17, ESV)

“I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.” What does that say about Simon, Andrew, James, and John? What does it say about us?

I started taking my shirts to the cleaners near our house when we moved to Monument, Colorado, in 2006. The attendant on duty was a guy in his early 40s named Russell. I remember thinking the first time I walked in that if I wanted to do Bible study with Russell, we could do it right there in the cleaners between customers. So I began by finding out his name, and every time I went in (two visits per batch of shirts!), I got a little more of his story. Finally, after a few months, I discovered a couple of issues. By that time, of course, he knew what I did – invest in men to help them follow Jesus.

So I “called him.” I said, “Russell, I’ve got something that may help you with your issues. You would have to do a little homework, and we could discuss it right here in the shop.” He responded, “Oh, so you think I’m a candidate?” (Meaning, you must think I’m a bad guy in need of your help.) I replied, “Russell, we’re all candidates.”

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved. (Ephesians 2.1 – 5, ESV)

For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit… (Titus 3.3 – 5, ESV)