I Came to Call Sinners

This Includes All of Us

Over the past few weeks, we’ve been discussing Jesus’ disciples. In the first week, we looked at Peter, Andrew, James, John. Last week, we talked about Philip, Nathanael, Thomas and Judas (not Iscariot).

We looked at how the people being called were ordinary people with flaws.

This week is no different. We’re going to be looking at Matthew and James, son of Alphaeus, with the focus on Matthew.

Matthew was a tax collector. The Jews saw tax collectors as the lowest of the low. They were considered traitors because they were taking money from their own people to give to the Romans. On top of that, many tax collectors charged more than Rome required and kept it for themselves.

Fisherman especially disliked them because they worked hard for their money and then had to give large sums to the tax collectors, or they would lose everything they had.

In Matthew 9:9-13, we read about Matthew’s calling. Keep in mind that this is Matthew writing about his own story.

Jesus saw Matthew who was a tax collector and said,

“Follow me,” he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him.

While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”

On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Matthew would have had nice things and plenty of money, and he didn’t hesitate. He left it all and followed Jesus.

If this following Jesus thing didn’t work out, he would have nowhere to go.

He would have enemies on both sides. The Romans would be upset with him for quitting, and the Jews already saw him as the enemy.

I’m glad it worked out because otherwise part of the Bible would be missing. Jesus knew what He was doing. He knew that Matthew had skills and abilities that included detailed writing and accounting.

We all have skills and abilities that we can use to build God’s kingdom.