Picture Matthew the day before he met Jesus. He would have been doing his daily disgusting job--collecting taxes. To get an idea of how much tax collectors were hated in Jesus' day, picture all the negative stereotypes (which I am not necessarily endorsing!) of a used car salesman, lawyer and IRS agent all into one. Then multiply that by 100. Tax collectors were hated because they were criminals. They took exorbant amounts of money to pad their own wallet.
Imagine telling Matthew the day before he encountered Christ, "Hey, buddy, what if I told you that you would write a narrative that will be translated into every language in the world and read for centuries after your death?" Matthew the tax collector would have lauged.
Then Matthew met Jesus.
We must remember that God called Matthew. Jesus took the initiative to call him. "The well have no need of a physician but the sick do." Jesus called this disgusting tax collector. Jesus called a sinner, not a righteous person, and Jesus still calls us sinners today.
Matthew followed. He began his own ministry quickly as he brought many tax collectors to his home to encounter Christ too. Matthew followed Jesus in his mission and ministry. Matthew took up the quill and wrote Jesus' life and ended up writing one of the four canonical Gospels. Matthew followed Jesus' by giving up his own life for the faith. Would that we follow Christ as Matthew did.
This morning we can now ask this once hated tax collector--St. Matthew, pray for us.
Imagine telling Matthew the day before he encountered Christ, "Hey, buddy, what if I told you that you would write a narrative that will be translated into every language in the world and read for centuries after your death?" Matthew the tax collector would have lauged.
Then Matthew met Jesus.
We must remember that God called Matthew. Jesus took the initiative to call him. "The well have no need of a physician but the sick do." Jesus called this disgusting tax collector. Jesus called a sinner, not a righteous person, and Jesus still calls us sinners today.
Matthew followed. He began his own ministry quickly as he brought many tax collectors to his home to encounter Christ too. Matthew followed Jesus in his mission and ministry. Matthew took up the quill and wrote Jesus' life and ended up writing one of the four canonical Gospels. Matthew followed Jesus' by giving up his own life for the faith. Would that we follow Christ as Matthew did.
This morning we can now ask this once hated tax collector--St. Matthew, pray for us.
Hello Fr. Ben,
ReplyDeleteI am now a follower of your blog.