according to Mark - 9

Pericope 13 - Calling appalling (un?)likely disciple(s).. 

Pericope 14 - ..and friends..

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And he went out again beside the Sea,

while all the crowd was coming unto him, 

and he was teaching them. In passing he

saw Levi (son) of Alphaeus sitting

(take note of this, he sits:) "at the tax-booth", 

(but "Levi" means he's from the Jewish tribe

responsible for worshiping in truth,

that’s in their job-descriptions God implied..

..that they'd collect the temple tax and stuff.

But it's quite possible he now collects

(within this occupied land things were tough),

not just for quite good causes they respect

but for their over-lords - you get the drift?)

and Jesus then says to him "Follow me!" 

And having risen up, he followed (swift,

and quite determined, as you soon will see)...

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We see him then reclining in his house

with heaps of tax-collectors and the "sin-

ful" (people too unclean to be espoused

as friends by most good folk - yet here's  a "bin-

full") - who recline in house (that's sharing meals!)

with Jesus, and as well, all his disci-

ples. (This was not uncommon,) it reveals

the many folk who followed him - alright.

The Teachers of the Law (some Pharisees),

then having seen him eat with "sinners" and

these Tax-collectors, said to his trainees:

"He's eating with the Tax-collectors (banned

from synagogue), the "sinners"! (If you can

imagine, and now read between the lines -

This is prepost'rous for a godly man,

to let himself be smirched in these bad times.

I wonder where they thought that he should eat?

They're pushed and pulled by each suppos-ed "law".

They'd like to... But they can't... It would be sweet…

They plan to build more fences to ensure

that "good stays in", and "evil is kept out".

This is their plan to manage. Unlike his:

A parent who loves child, will some laws flout;

they want so much to be where their child is!)

Well, Jesus, having heard, says (back) to some,

"The fit and healthy have no need of doct-

ors, but the sick do. No, I haven't come

to call on who's alright, but "sinners" (blocked)!

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13Καὶ ἐξῆλθεν πάλιν παρὰ τὴν θάλασσαν· καὶ πᾶς ὁ ὄχλος ἤρχετο πρὸς αὐτόν, καὶ ἐδίδασκεν αὐτούς. 14Καὶ παράγων εἶδεν Λευὶν τὸν τοῦ Ἁλφαίου καθήμενον ἐπὶ τὸ τελώνιον, καὶ λέγει αὐτῷ· ἀκολούθει μοι. καὶ ἀναστὰς ἠκολούθησεν αὐτῷ. Mark 2:13-14  NA28

15Καὶ γίνεται κατακεῖσθαι αὐτὸν ἐν τῇ οἰκίᾳ αὐτοῦ, καὶ πολλοὶ τελῶναι καὶ ἁμαρτωλοὶ συνανέκειντο τῷ Ἰησοῦ καὶ τοῖς μαθηταῖς αὐτοῦ· ἦσαν γὰρ πολλοὶ καὶ ἠκολούθουν αὐτῷ

16καὶ οἱ γραμματεῖς τῶν Φαρισαίων ἰδόντες ὅτι ἐσθίει μετὰ τῶν ἁμαρτωλῶν καὶ τελωνῶν ἔλεγον τοῖς μαθηταῖς αὐτοῦ· ὅτι μετὰ τῶν τελωνῶν καὶ ἁμαρτωλῶν ἐσθίει; 17καὶ ἀκούσας ὁ Ἰησοῦς λέγει αὐτοῖς [ὅτι] οὐ χρείαν ἔχουσιν οἱ ἰσχύοντες ἰατροῦ ἀλλ’ οἱ κακῶς ἔχοντες· οὐκ ἦλθον καλέσαι δικαίους ἀλλ’ ἁμαρτωλούς. Mark 2:15-17  NA28

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