2-18-2020

Good Morning All, 

    Matthew 9:9; “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.”

    Despicable.  That is really the only way most people would describe Matthew.  He was the traitor of traitors.  He was working for the Romans against his own people.  He was a Jew and he was collecting taxes, actually, extorting money from his own people and he was doing it face to face probably with a smirk. 

    There were two kinds of tax collectors.  There were the chief tax collectors, these were the higher ups who didn’t get their hands dirty.  Then there were the regular tax collectors like Matthew.  He would have sat at the toll booths by the entrances to the city or by the central marketplace.  He would have enforced tariffs or value taxes.  He would have collected taxes for the exchange of money or for the tax on import or export goods.  These rates were “flexible” depending on how much he felt he could extract from the other person.  He would have had a few “enforcers” behind him to help persuade the taxpayer to pay his tax.

    He always had to extract a little more than what was called for.  He had to turn in the tax money, pay the bribe to the chief tax collector, pay the hired muscle and still make a living for himself.  But he didn’t need to live that good and he was working for the Romans; the government that was repressing his people.  He was handling their filthy lucre and he was dealing with those unclean gentiles.  He would never be clean enough to go into the Temple.  Every good Jew would ignore him, or even spit on him in passing him on the street.  So, his friends were of no value to the Jewish society either.  His friends were other tax collectors, the thugs they hired, maybe a few prostitutes would have been the extent of his friends as well.  He was the lowest of the lowest, the absolute bottom of the barrel.

    Yet Jesus called and he listened.  Jesus called and Matthew walked away from his booth.  He walked away from all the money.  As soon as he left, one of the thugs or other tax collectors would have taken over.  His job was gone, for good or ill, his source of income dried up as he stood up.  The fact that Jesus even spoke to him speaks of how great his love is.  So, what do we learn from the calling of Matthew?

    There is never, ever someone who is too bad to be called to the saving grace that Jesus gives to you.  There is no way that you are ever beyond hope.  There is nothing we can do that will ever turn God’s love from us.  God desires you just as much as he did Matthew.  God desires to have you as part of his kingdom.  God pours out his grace upon you.  You may be bad, but you are no more despicable than Matthew.  Jesus called Matthew into his kingdom; he is calling you as well.

Gracious Father, many times I feel lower than Matthew. I feel there is no way you could ever love me and yet your mercy speaks to me each day.  Your grace is poured out on me every single moment.  Strengthen me that I may live knowing the certainty of your grace.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace

Pastor Bret