Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!
Of all the holidays in our household, Thanksgiving has taken the top spot. My wife loves food and family so much that we tend to celebrate Thanksgiving with gusto. Meanwhile, I also like to build off of that zealous foundation with thankfulness to God and others for what I have now, as well as a look back at the past for the religious history that brought us many things, including the holiday. While I could have made this week’s post a lengthy discourse on perhaps Puritan or some Native American traditions and teachings, which I might do some day for Thanksgiving, I have decided that, for this week, it was most appropriate to stick with the routine of working through Mark and the Gospels as a whole. After all, perhaps it is no coincidence that the next story I’m covering is a story about Jesus sharing a meal at a table. So, let’s examine this story of Jesus’ thanksgiving meal.
First, a summary. Mark 2:13–17 details a calling story similar to when Jesus called Peter, Andrew, James, and John. This time we see Levi, who is collecting taxes, or tolls, at a booth. Jesus tells him to follow and Levi gets up and leaves his place of work behind to follow Jesus. Later, Levi throws a banquet for Jesus and his disciples and he invites all of his friends to come over. Everyone’s having a great time, when some elitist snobs catch…
