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Gospel: Matthew 9: 9-13
As Jesus passed by,
he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the customs post.
He said to him, “Follow me.”
And he got up and followed him.
While he was at table in his house,
many tax collectors and sinners came
and sat with Jesus and his disciples.
The Pharisees saw this and said to his disciples,
“Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
He heard this and said,
“Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do.
Go and learn the meaning of the words,
I desire mercy, not sacrifice.
I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
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Jews hated tax collectors, who were often viewed as thieves, extorting exuberant amounts of money from citizens, even the poor.
The Jews had only one king – God – so paying taxes to the Romans was a type of infringement on God’s right as their sovereign king.
In fact, in Jewish law, tax collectors were forbidden from entering the synagogue; they were thrown into the same ritual lot as unclean animals, robbers, and murderers.
In a word, they were thought of as, scum.
Yet it’s the tax collector, Matthew, whom Jesus calls in today’s Gospel, revealing the Lord’s ability to see deep into the human heart, weighing not only what a person is, but also what they can become.
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For the next three years, Matthew will learn how to leave himself and his desires behind in order to follow Jesus. After the resurrection, he will set East to share the Gospel to the far edges of the known world – as far as Ethiopia, where traditionally he was martyred.
Matthew became an Apostle, a significant leader in the early Church, leaving behind his written testimony to Christ, who changed the world.
Each of us has been affected by Matthew’s Gospel.
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He teaches us that following Christ can involve leaving worldly comforts in exchange for adventure.
Following Christ will make us shed our ego, putting on a new self.
Following Christ leads to a future yet to be written, paved not by human ingenuity or calculation, but step by step in faith.
When the Lord looks at us, he sees not only who we are, but also who we can become. “Will you leave yourself behind,” he asks, “and follow me?”
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Image credits: (1) The Calling of Saint Matthew, Caravaggio (2) Ibid. (3) Follow Me, Whitehall Church of Christ