We all know of someone who could easily be called a “dirty, rotten scoundrel”, a real rat, a wretch. We may feel that there is no hope that they will ever change. They seem beyond any redemption. The people who lived in the village of Capernaum all knew someone like that. But then one day something happened, and the man who everyone felt was a scoundrel changed. Was it real? Could that really happen? Let’s look at our Scripture for today.
Our Gospel reading for this week gives Matthew’s own brief testimony of how the Lord called him from a life of sin and dishonesty to become one of His apostles, and also the author of one of the four gospels. As we read in the Scripture, Matthew was a tax collector in Capernaum. Matthew was also known as Levi in other Gospels (Mark 2:14; Luke 5:27). In the days of the New Testament, tax collectors were one of the most despised people in society. The reason for this scorn, contempt, and even outright hatred from the “respectable” Jewish people was that tax collectors were looked at as agents or collaborators with the enemy occupying Roman government. They were considered traitors as they sought to collect revenue for the Romans. And, of course, no one likes to pay taxes, so a tax collector would not be popular even in the best of circumstances. In addition, though, in the days of the New Testament, under Roman rule, the Romans gave the tax collectors a rather free hand. If the tax collectors took more money than was asked for by the government, the Romans didn’t care, as long as they got what was required. Thus, many tax collectors were extortioners, trying to collect more taxes than was required, and pocketing the extra. As a result, these were hated people.
As our Scripture opens, Jesus was passing through Capernaum, a Galilean village that Jesus frequently spent time in. As we read, Matthew was busy working in his tax collection booth. Capernaum would have been a rather lucrative place to be a tax collector. Many goods would pass through Capernaum, coming from Damascus and the Mediterranean ports, and also goods leaving Galilee heading to those locations. All would need to be taxed, and Matthew was right there collecting all he could. Jesus saw him and called Matthew to come and follow Him (vs. 9).
When Jesus called Matthew from his tax collector's booth, he immediately got up and followed Him. He didn’t hesitate a moment. He likely would have heard some of Jesus’ preaching, though from a distance, and the Holy Spirit had been speaking to his heart. When Matthew left his tax collector’s office, this guaranteed his losing the profitable job he had. Many of the other disciples, such as the fishermen, could return to their secular professions if they wished (though none did), yet there was no turning back for Matthew. When he turned to Jesus, he gave his all, his whole life.
As a tax collector, people kept their distance from Matthew. Everyone that is, except Jesus. Jesus called him to be a disciple, and he gave up that job and his former life, and followed the Savior. Within the next day or two, Matthew hosted a dinner for Jesus (vs. 10-11). He invited his friends who were also outcasts from proper Pharisaical society, the only ones who would associate with him. Matthew wanted them to hear Jesus and be saved as he had. The Pharisees criticized Jesus for attending this dinner. The Pharisees believed that anyone who associated with sinners, or even came near them, must also be sinners. They were more concerned with their own appearance of holiness than with helping people and bringing them to God.
Jesus responded by saying that healthy people don’t need a doctor, that the sick do (vs. 12-13). Jesus came to call sinners to repentance. Those who are sure that they are righteous in themselves can’t be saved because one needs to acknowledge one's own sinfulness, and call on Jesus for mercy. Matthew did just that, however the Pharisees didn’t. Matthew received salvation, and the self-righteous Pharisees would not. God wants our hearts, not just lip-service. Dutiful religious activity means nothing without personal surrender to the Lord. The keeping of rituals and sacrifices won’t save anyone, but asking for God’s mercy will.
Can a dishonest scoundrel or wretch find redemption? Can the cheat, the prostitute, the drug addict, the drunk, and any other sort of rotten person truly change their life around? They can if they truly come to the Lord Jesus and give their life to Him. That is what Matthew did. When Jesus called him, he gave up everything in his past and followed Him. Church tradition says that in addition to writing his Gospel, Matthew spent some time ministering in Persia, and also went to Ethiopia to preach the Gospel where he was martyred. Are you willing to get up and follow Jesus, and leave all behind, just as Matthew did? Jesus calls each of us to “Come, follow Me!”
No comments:
Post a Comment