Righteous Path – Luke 5:27-32 Reflection
When Jesus dines with the large crowd of sinners, He allows them the opportunity to accept forgiveness and love so they may walk a righteous path. Have you interiorly experienced the misery of moral and spiritual poverty and transformed to leave it behind? If so, you also know the experience of repentance. What should we do when encountering excessiveness, worldliness, superiority, or even seeing people who ignore others? Without judgment and while remaining compassionate and understanding, we can attentively listen and converse, knowing Jesus has filled our hearts with love. Our tasks are to humbly and gently offer our neighbor the gift of joy and love. Doing so makes it possible for them to see that our desire to hear their view comes from the delight of knowing Jesus. Hope comes to them if they are willing to listen to us and potentially want what we have.
The Calling of Saint Matthew by James Tissot (full-resolution image of painting).
More details are available on the Brooklyn Museum website.
Additional Ordinary Time Reflections
Luke 5:27-32 – Scripture*
Jesus Calls Levi
27 After this he went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax booth; and he said to him, “Follow me.” 28 And he got up, left everything, and followed him.
29 Then Levi gave a great banquet for him in his house; and there was a large crowd of tax collectors and others sitting at the table with them. 30 The Pharisees and their scribes were complaining to his disciples, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” 31 Jesus answered, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick; 32 I have come to call not the righteous but sinners to repentance.”
Additional Thoughts
Thank you for meditating on this Gospel and reading this Lectio Divina on Luke 5:27-32 Reflection – A Righteous Path.
Would you like to contribute related thoughts to these Lectio reflections on the Gospel readings? Since Lectio is not the only contemplative prayer style, others might appreciate these types of expressions in this ministry. Do you see God’s grandeur everywhere and unconditionally enjoy sharing the love of Christ that you have inside? Are you willing to be anonymous in what you would share? If so, email me.
Prayer for young families:
Lord, let the young families of our communities get to know your joy, peace, comfort, and love despite worldly distractions.
Attributions
*This site has permission to use the New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE) Bible Luke 5 passage.
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Primary Lectio Divina word or phrase: Righteous Path