Mark 2:13-22 (NRSV)

Jesus went out again beside the sea; the whole crowd gathered around him, and he taught them.  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.  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.  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?'  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.'  Now John's disciples and the Pharisees were fasting; and people came and said to him, 'Why do John's disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?'  Jesus said to them, 'The wedding guests cannot fast while the bridegroom is with them, can they?  As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast.  The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast on that day.  'No one sews a piece of un-shrunk cloth on an old cloak; otherwise, the patch pulls away from it, the new from the old, and a worse tear is made.  And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and the wine is lost, and so are the skins; but one puts new wine into fresh wineskins.'

Sinners and tax collectors.  It is interesting to me that the sinners are lumped together with the tax collectors.  Are tax collectors sinners?  Well, maybe not today.  However, in ancient times they were not so desired.  In fact there were hated because they were thought to betray their own people.  Therefore, the tax collectors and sinners are lumped together.

In today’s passage, Jesus is running around and having dinner with the “wrong” people.  Jesus responds to accusations by articulating his call is to be with those who need him most – those that need to be restored to society.  When asked why he doesn’t fast like the Pharisees and the disciples of John, he answers comparing himself to the bridegroom at a wedding feast.

Jesus follows this comparison with the images of the new and old, shrunk cloth and wineskins.  I think that this means that the newness of His teachings and ministry are  "breaking through" into the world.  It all looks different, and it is all different.  Jesus’ unexpected message brings with it new ideas about renewal and restoration of life within us.  New life, new patches, new wineskins...

Our Lenten call today is one of deeper repentance and change of mind or heart (metanoia).  To hold the new wine, we need become anew.  We need a change of mind or transform, from a "legalistic" framework of thinking to a way of joy.  The joy of being with and in Christ.  It is expansive and will burst the old skins.  It contains joy, love, and more.  It is thinking “outside” the old box, of our old mindset of prescribed acts or works.  In our practice as Christians, we are always called to remember to change our hearts.  It's time for new wineskins as we are all recreated anew.

Luke 18:9-14 (NRSV)

[Jesus] also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and regarded others with contempt: 'Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.  The Pharisee, standing by himself, was praying thus, "God, I thank you that I am not like other people: thieves, rogues, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.  I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of all my income."  But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even look up to heaven, but was beating his breast and saying, "God, be merciful to me, a sinner!"  I tell you, this man went down to his home justified rather than the other; for all who exalt themselves will be humbled, but all who humble themselves will be exalted.'

Today is Ash Wednesday, and the word that comes to the forefront is contempt.  I’m not sure why the word stood out, it just did.  Jesus is talking to the folks who disapprove of, and are judgmental of the way others live their lives.  They are self righteous and think they are superior.  Jesus is speaking this parable to “some” who considered themselves righteous and regard others with contempt.

The Pharisees are a political party of religious lay persons who specialized in Torah (Jewish Law).  They were in conflict with Jesus because Jesus often used them as examples of how not to act.  The Pharisees were worried about keeping the letter of the law, and thought that keeping the law alone sanctified their daily life and would bring about the redemption of Israel.  This was in contrast to what Jesus was trying to teach people about the intent of the law, to create a framework for the right relationship between God and God’s people.  Therefore, Jesus is an obstacle for the Pharisaic influence in society and they want Jesus out of the way.

Tax collectors were the Jews who collected taxes from the people on behalf of the Roman government.  They were considered scoundrels because they took money from their own people for a foreign power.  They were often corrupt, and took money to pad their own pockets.

Jesus’ parable of the tax collector and the Pharisee creates a sharp comparison and contrast for the hearer to ponder.  The Pharisee is set up as the one who considers himself righteous and the Tax Collector as the humble repentant sinner.

In the parable, the Pharisee is not the least bit introspective in his prayer.  He does not acknowledge his own sin, but is self righteously thankful that he is “not like other people.”  In contrast, the Tax Collector is humble and asking God for mercy, knowing that he is a sinner.

At the beginning of this season of Lent, the call in this passage is humility and self-awareness.  If we are humble in our prayers and honestly bear before God our shortcomings and ask for mercy, God hears us and forgives us.  Only then are we able to grow and learn and live in right relationship with God.