“Trees that are slow to grow bear the best fruit.”

“Though the mills of God grind slowly, yet they grind exceeding small; Though with patience He stands waiting, with exactness grinds He all.” ― Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Gospel Text: (MK 2:13-17)

Jesus went out along the sea.

All the crowd came to him and he taught them.

As he passed by, he saw Levi, son of Alphaeus,

sitting at the customs post.

Jesus said to him, “Follow me.”

And he got up and followed Jesus.

While he was at table in his house,

many tax collectors and sinners sat with Jesus and his disciples;

for there were many who followed him.

Some scribes who were Pharisees saw that Jesus was eating with sinners

and tax collectors and said to his disciples,

“Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?”

Jesus heard this and said to them,

“Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do.

I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.”

Even if we knew all of the data we are not the judge. The judgment belongs to God alone. As Jeremiah the prophet tells us, “More tortuous than all else is the human heart, beyond remedy; who can understand it? I, the Lord, alone probe the mind and test the heart, to reward everyone according to his ways, according to the merits of his deeds.” (Jer.17:9-10) Our friends judge us to be better than we are and our enemies judge us to be worse than we are. Only God knows the real me. “Let them both grow till the harvest.”(MT 13:30) God is patient and merciful. He wants everyone to be saved and come to the knowledge of the Truth. There is always the possibility of conversion.