Jesus is a Reconciler

I was reading in Mark yesterday and the Lord illuminated something I had never noticed before. So check it out (Chapter 1), Jesus is at the Sea of Galilee when He calls Simon (Peter) and Andrew who were fishing on the sea. He then walks down the shore just a bit and calls James and John, who were partners with Simon.

He called four fishermen as his first disciples, so who does He call next? Well according to John it may have been Phillip and Nathanael, but according to Matthew, Mark and Luke it looks like Levi (Matthew), the tax collector. The order seems to be a small point, but I think the fact that these three Gospel writers chose to highlight these five disciples is significant. I say this because of a seemingly minor detail. Matthew was a tax collector "beside the sea". It appears as if his booth was nearby the very place Jesus called the four fishermen a few days before, seeming to indicate that he collected taxes from fishermen (thank you ESV Study Bible). Why is this significant? Matthew was probably the very tax collector extorting money from these guys Jesus just called as His first disciples. And He calls them both to be His disciples.

Jesus brings reconciliation between people and social groups from the very start of His ministry. A small snapshot pointing to the greatest reconciliation He came to bring; us to the Father. Praise Jesus!

Paul in his meditation on this aspect of God's character exhorts the Corinthians with this message, "All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to Himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making His appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake He made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God." 2 Cor. 5:17-21