Spiritual Tax Refund

Saturday After Ash Wednesday

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Gospel of Luke 5:27-32

Jesus saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at the customs post. He said to him, “Follow me.” And leaving everything behind, he got up and followed him.

The Tax Man Cometh Nobody likes to pay income taxes.  Old Uncle Sam isn't known to be a favorite family member!  This time of the year most Americans file taxes.  We cross our fingers (and pray to God) that we correctly calculated the math.  We don't want to owe any taxes.  We prefer to receive that big fat refund check! What will we do with the money?  Pay off debt?  Take a vacation?  Splurge on expensive electronic gadgets or the latest fashionable accessory.?....But wait!  Remember we're in Season of Lent.  Didn't we decide after receiving the ashes on "Dirty Forehead Wednesday" that we'd restrict our diets and abstain from our pleasures and habits?  Maybe we should use our spiritual tax refund for some heavenly good!

Spiritual Taxes In today's gospel reading, Levi (a.k.a. Matthew) the tax collector decides to follow Jesus.  How could this be?  Isn't this man forever robbing from the poor?  Levi was like Uncle Sam demanding tax payments at a certain time of the year.  ....And people who couldn't pay up faced fines and penalties just like the I.R.S protocol.  Tax collectors were often thieves in their own right charging above the tax amount and pocketing the difference.  (I think of out-of-date tax laws where the middle class take most of the tax burden.) Why on earth would Jesus invite such a low life to follow him? Why sinners in general? The Pharisees and Scribes didn't understand Jesus' intense healing power.  Sinners became attracted to Our Lord like a magnet.  They felt an outpouring of love. This love ignited a fire within themselves ready to burn away sin and become quenched in the living water of the Spirit.  Levi the Tax collector left everything behind - his desire for wealth and riches, his desire to manipulate and coerce people into "paying up."  It's as if Levi instantly issued everybody in Judea a spiritual tax refund! A tax refund initiated by Jesus himself!  No W2 required.  No filing a form through  Jerusalem Turbo Tax.  No audits for accuracy. Spiritual wealth refunded to all believers, inviting them to conversion and discipleship.

Use the refund wisely  As Christian stewards, we are called to use our spiritual refunds wisely.  We should treat others fairly with respect and love no matter if we like them or not.  We should utilize our treasures in ways that lift up God, not diminish him as eternal nothingness.  The fact that Jesus is willing to dine with fellow sinners says a lot about his character:  He loves us so much that he wants to always be near us!  

We pay our income taxes in order to help the government maintain social programs, internal operations, military protection, and infrastructure. At the same time by "paying" our "spiritual taxes" we invite others to a more intimate relationship with Christ.  We show God that we believe in him and wish to share his good news with others.  

St. Matthew, Pray for Us!

-J.