“Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?”

Today’s Gospel presents a powerful scene. Jesus calls Levi, a tax collector, someone considered corrupt, unclean, and unworthy. Not only does Jesus call him, He sits at table with him. Immediately, the Pharisees complain: “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” At the heart of their question is judgment. Being judgmental can quietly destroy us. When we judge others harshly, we place ourselves above them. We begin to believe we are better, cleaner, more deserving. This attitude hardens the heart. Instead of compassion, we grow in pride. Instead of mercy, we nurture criticism. Judgment isolates us from others and blinds us to our own need for forgiveness. Judgment also wounds other people. Labels can imprison a person in their past. When we define someone by their mistakes, we deny them the possibility of change. We can discourage, exclude, and spiritually suffocate them. A judgmental community becomes a cold place where healing is impossible. But Jesus shows us a different mission. He describes Himself as a physician: “Those who are healthy do not need a doctor, but the sick do.” The mission of Jesus is not to avoid sinners but to seek them. Not to condemn but to heal. Not to close doors but to open them. He enters the messiness of human life so that transformation can begin. Levi’s story proves this. One encounter with Jesus changes his life. Mercy makes conversion possible. Isaiah reminds us to remove oppression, false accusations, and malicious speech. These are the very fruits of judgment. Instead, we are called to become “repairers of the breach” and “restorers of ruined homes.” That is the mission of Christ—and it must become our mission too. Lent invites us to examine not only our sins, but also our attitudes toward others. If we remember that we too need the Divine Physician, we will judge less and love more. For God does not desire the death of the sinner, but that he or she may turn back and live. And we are all patients in need of His mercy. Amen.