March 13, 2022 – The Tax Collector, Matthew 9:9-13
Matthew was an unpopular man who ran with an unpopular crowd of tax collectors and sinners. He suffered the open ridicule of his Jewish brothers and sisters, particularly that of the religious leaders of the day. And yet, no soul is too sick for the Great Physician. Jesus called Matthew to be one of His elite twelve, and He calls each and every one of us out of our darkest sins into His unimaginable light. Matthew models how readily we should head the call of Christ.
Matthew 9:9-13 9 As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him.
10 And as Jesus[a] reclined at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and his disciples. 11 And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” 12 But when he heard it, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 13 Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”
