Last Sunday we returned to our series looking at the life of Jesus through the eyes of Mark's gospel, and in 2:13-22 we find Jesus inviting a guy called Levi to follow him - which he does. And Levi then invites Jesus and the other disciples to his house for a meal with his friends and work-mates.
That might not seem all that amazing until we read the bit about Levi being a tax-collector. An un-popular profession in most cultures but especially so in first century Palestine. As a tax-collector you were working for the occupying army from Rome, you were siding with the enemy, and to top it off you were almost certainly adding a little to every bill - a little that would find it's way straight into your pocket. Levi was certainly not the sort of person you would expect Jesus to ask to follow him - and he was most certainly not the sort of person who you'd go and eat with - at least not unless you wanted to become ceremonially unclean. That's the reason why the Pharisees were so shocked at what they saw Jesus doing.
Yet Jesus is re-defining the whole way they understood the kingdom of God. It was not something you were born into, and you remained in as long as you did the right things and avoided the wrong things. It was not something that those who were inside needed to protect from those who were outside. No, the kingdom of God was something that you entered through repentance (1:15) and once on the inside you were to be looking outward and inviting others in too.
Jesus got invites to spend time with "tax-collectors and sinners", even though we know from examples such as Levi, Zacchaeus and the rich young ruler that he made radical demands on people's lives, demands to repent - to have your whole life turned upside down. But then as these people spent time with Jesus they came to see that what he had to offer was a better way of life.
How can we show that there is a better way this week?
Wednesday, 20 February 2013
Tuesday, 19 February 2013
Tuesday's Tune - 6
Today we come to the end of our series of favourite / meaningful songs that were chosen for an evening service we did back in January. (There were a few more that were chosen but I can't find video clips or audio for them.)
Today's song is 'All the way my saviour leads me'. I'll let the words speak for themselves.
Today's song is 'All the way my saviour leads me'. I'll let the words speak for themselves.
Monday, 18 February 2013
Marathon Update - 9 weeks to go
Only 9 weeks to go! We're into single figures which seems too close for comfort, but in reality that's still over two months away (just).
When I wrote last week it had already started to snow and come Monday morning there was a covering of wet snow on the pavements and plenty of slush on the roads. So once again it was on with the Yaktax, so I was able to get in the miles - if not the speed.
By Tuesday the snow had all gone so normal service resumed with the 'cutback' week. I managed to get all the sessions in, although due to a dodgy stomach wasn't able to get the 9 miles at 8:30 min/mile pace and the 12 miles at 9:30 m/m in on consecutive days as planed. Instead I had to take a day in-between, but then ran them both quicker than planned so hopefully that will make up for it. Wednesday's session which had a planned section of 3 miles in 21 mins - I managed 21:09 which is quicker than I've done for a while so that's promising.
This coming week should contain a couple of faster sessions - which I don't really enjoy. One is 3 lots of 1 mile in 6:45 and the other contains a middle 4 miles in 28:00 or 7 m/m. I was watching Mo Farah on Saturday running 3000m in 7:42 - that's 1.86 miles - so a pace of 4:08 m/m. I can't even do that for 200m and this was an comfortable race! Just had a look back at some of last year's sessions and found an interval session with a 200m in 42s - so that's 5:37 m/m pace. With the news this week that Mo Farah is going to run the London Marathon - I guess he won't need to worry about me!
The main session this week is of course the long run - which this week will be up to 19 miles. Then it will be 20 miles the following week. After that, in terms of long runs, there will just be two more 20 milers before the 26.2 on April 21.
I'm running for Christian Aid and you can sponsor me at www.virginmoneygiving.com/keithtarring
When I wrote last week it had already started to snow and come Monday morning there was a covering of wet snow on the pavements and plenty of slush on the roads. So once again it was on with the Yaktax, so I was able to get in the miles - if not the speed.
By Tuesday the snow had all gone so normal service resumed with the 'cutback' week. I managed to get all the sessions in, although due to a dodgy stomach wasn't able to get the 9 miles at 8:30 min/mile pace and the 12 miles at 9:30 m/m in on consecutive days as planed. Instead I had to take a day in-between, but then ran them both quicker than planned so hopefully that will make up for it. Wednesday's session which had a planned section of 3 miles in 21 mins - I managed 21:09 which is quicker than I've done for a while so that's promising.
This coming week should contain a couple of faster sessions - which I don't really enjoy. One is 3 lots of 1 mile in 6:45 and the other contains a middle 4 miles in 28:00 or 7 m/m. I was watching Mo Farah on Saturday running 3000m in 7:42 - that's 1.86 miles - so a pace of 4:08 m/m. I can't even do that for 200m and this was an comfortable race! Just had a look back at some of last year's sessions and found an interval session with a 200m in 42s - so that's 5:37 m/m pace. With the news this week that Mo Farah is going to run the London Marathon - I guess he won't need to worry about me!
The main session this week is of course the long run - which this week will be up to 19 miles. Then it will be 20 miles the following week. After that, in terms of long runs, there will just be two more 20 milers before the 26.2 on April 21.
I'm running for Christian Aid and you can sponsor me at www.virginmoneygiving.com/keithtarring
Saturday, 16 February 2013
The Real Easter Egg
Just in case you're starting to think about buying Easter Eggs - now that you've given up chocolate for Lent you can think of little else...
To find out more, including details of what you get in the box visit www.realeasteregg.co.uk
To find out more, including details of what you get in the box visit www.realeasteregg.co.uk
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)