Mark 2:13-17:  13 Jesus went out again beside the lake; the whole crowd gathered around him, and he taught them. 14 As he was walking along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, ‘Follow me.’ And he got up and followed him.  15 And as he sat at dinner in Levi’s house, many tax-collectors and sinners were also sitting with Jesus and his disciples—for there were many who followed him. 16 When the scribes of the Pharisees saw that he was eating with sinners and tax-collectors, they said to his disciples, ‘Why does he eat with tax-collectors and sinners?’ 17  When Jesus heard this, he said to them, ‘Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick; I have come to call not the righteous but sinners.’

One thing I like about my house is the windows. Our house is on a hill, up off the street, and I like to look out the windows that make up the corner of the living room. In the summers I like to sit by the windows and look out on the activity; but also I like what the windows let in – the light, and when the windows are open, a cool breeze and the sounds of birds singing and chipmunks chattering. Windows are like that, they allow us to see something on the other side, but at the same time, what is on the other side enters into our space and leaves a mark on our experience of that moment.

I want us to use that image for how we see the kingdom of God – as if through a window. The Kingdom of God is on the other side, we can see it because it is near; and though it is not really here, because it is near what is on the other side has a way of entering into our present reality and leaving its mark on us. Look around at the windows in the chapel. All of them allow us to see something of the outside, but our glimpses of the outside are different depending on which window we’re looking through or where we’re sitting.

In the opening verse of Mark we’re told that this is a story of the good news. And thirteen verses later, the verses we read last Wednesday, we’re told that the good news is that the Kingdom of God is “near.” If we’re to believe that much of the rest of Mark’s storytelling intends to show us just what the Kingdom of God is then it might be helpful for us to consider these different scenes in the story as different windows through which we see glimpses of God’s Kingdom. None of the glimpses tell the whole story, but each of them are there for us to take notice, to look with searching eyes and to allow what is on the other side to impact our present reality. So, in today’s reading, as a window into God’s Kingdom, we see Jesus walking along the sea and calling Levi to be his disciple. The next thing we see is Jesus sitting at dinner in Levi’s house with many tax collectors, sinners, and his followers. At this point we might think Jesus’ actions are friendly, kind or admirable, given the company he’s keeping, as if it is something like the popular teen going over to sit at the “nerdy” lunch table. We might think it is compassionate. Or maybe we just think Jesus is hungry. But more than being kind, admirable or compassionate, what we see in this glimpse of the kingdom of God is that the kingdom of God is about the unexpected. You see, tax collectors were the kind of folks that have been kicked out of the synagogue, they are not allowed to be witnesses in a court of law. They are considered traitors and spiritually bankrupt by the faithful Jews. Therefore, the scribes and Pharisees, look to Jesus’ disciples for understanding asking them, “why is he eating with sinners, and tax collectors?” Even for me it’s confusing - aren’t kingdoms opulent and full of beauty and proper people! If this is a glimpse into the kingdom why the disreputable people? I thought God’s kingdom was a place of perfection, not sinners.

But then I look into this window on the kingdom and I see more clearly – God’s kingdom is not about a place – where it is or how it looks - it’s about a way of being. Jesus is not teaching about the Kingdom as some far of place, he’s demonstrating the kingdom as a present reality where radical inclusion is practiced; an inclusion that loves the unlovable and in so doing offends the keepers of exclusion who know the rules and for whom this does not look like good news because now their rank and righteousness have no meaning.

Then I allow what’s on the other side of the window to enter into my present reality and change it. I will not waste my time imagining that the kingdom of God is about who’s in and who’s out. I will not take measure of my righteousness in order to set me apart from or above others. I will pray for this window into God’s Kingdom to embolden me to demonstrate the kingdom of God for what it truly is – an invitation to the unexpected, inclusive love of God through his Son, Jesus Christ.


-René Johnson

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