Tag: tax collector
Calling all ‘sinners’!
Scripture reading for April 18th: Matthew 9, Psalm 77, Proverbs 15
Matthew 9: 9-13 “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. And as Jesus reclined at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and His disciples. And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to His disciples, “Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” But when He heard it, He said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.””
All men are ‘sinners’ and are in need of healing. Self-realization of this truth can come only to those humble enough to listen to the Master and open their heart to truth. Matthew, a notorious tax collector, heard the call of Jesus and decided to follow. He was so overcome, he invited all his friends, many who were also hated tax-collectors, to come and dine with Jesus and listen to His teaching. As Jesus sat and ate with these ‘sinners’, the religious community had questions and disdain that Jesus would defile Himself. Jesus gently asked them to go and find out the meaning of ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’ Jesus came to show God’s mercy for those needing it most and recognizing that truth.
Psalm 77:13-14 “Your way, O God, is holy. What god is great like our God? You are the God Who works wonders; You have made known Your might among the peoples.”
Prayer: Father God, You alone are holy and full of mercy and compassion for those most sinful and worthy of judgment. Thank You for gently correcting those who mis-understood You and were judging others. Help me to see others with Your eyes and to show mercy through preaching Jesus Christ and Your Gospel of grace through faith. Make my tongue a tree of life through the Holy Spirit empowering me.
Proverbs 15:3-4 “The eyes of the Lord are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good. A gentle tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit.”
Seek and save the Lost!
Scripture reading for March 30th: Luke 19
When I was very young, my mother loved to tell Bible stories with a flannel board. I remember her telling me the story of Zacchaeus, the little man who had to climb a tree to see Jesus. This story interested me, because I was short and had a desire to see Jesus too!
Zacchaeus was a tax collector. He was a Jew who worked for the Roman government collecting taxes. His salary came from adding onto the tax collections, often using fraudulent means. People holding this job were considered by the Jews to be the worst of sinners! But Zacchaeus wanted to see Jesus and climbed up into a tree to get a better view. “When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, com down immediately. I must stay at your house today.”” (Luke 19:5) This caused people to mutter about Jesus eating with sinners!
“But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.” Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.” (Luke 19:8-10) In the presence of the lover of sinners, Zacchaeus had true repentance! He turned from his deceitful ways and was willing to follow God’s instructions. He wanted to give to the poor and to restore money he might have taken by cheating. Jesus declared that salvation had come to his house! After all, Jesus came to save sinners like me and the short man up in the tree!
Doctors are for the sick! (Savior’s are for sinners!)
Scripture reading for February 11th: Mark 2
Everywhere Jesus went, people were either amazed at His teaching and miracles or provoked by how unorthodox His methods and timing were. Religious leaders had the most difficult time when Jesus broke their customs and violated tradition. Common people felt welcomed and loved by Jesus and opened their hearts to Him. Those who encountered Jesus must decide where they stood for His teaching and miracles brought conviction!
“”As He walked along, He saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax collector’s booth. “Follow Me,” Jesus told him, and Levi got up and followed Him. While Jesus was having dinner at Levi’s house, many tax collectors and “sinners” were eating with Him and His disciples, for there were many who followed Him.” (Mark 2:14-15) This action of Jesus brought the Pharisees into a conflict with Jesus and His disciples. They were upset that Jesus was hanging around with known “sinners”. This would have been unthinkable to them. These people were “unclean” and would have contaminated them.
Jesus responded with a classic statement: “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” (Mark 1:18) Jesus’ mission was to reach lost people. In reality, all are lost! (Romans 3:23) But often religious people are self-righteous! They judge their righteousness by the rules they keep and by others lack of keeping their traditions. We must know we are sick to choose a doctor to help us! We must recognize we are sinners to go to The Savior! Check your heart today! If you are judging yourself by religious rules or traditions, rather than by your relationship with Jesus, the Savior, repent and get it right!
Have mercy on me, a sinner!
Scripture reading for April 16th: Luke 18:1-17
It’s easy to be self-righteous! We are prone to think very highly of ourselves and focus on the other people who are ‘worse’ sinners than we are. Church people are very often the best at this, because they think that going to church or doing something for the poor brings them into special merit with God. But God is not as impressed with our attempts to look good as we are. Jesus told a story to help His disciples better understand their need for humility.
“To some who were confident in their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told them this parable: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men–robbers, evildoers, adulterers–or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.” “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.'” (Luke 18:9-13)
The Pharisee went home as he came–proud and full of himself! He was oblivious to his real need of deliverance from pride. He was eager to see the faults of others, but missed the ‘log’ of self-righteousness in his own eye! He was confident in himself and his own ability to do what God required by keeping the law and earning his standing with God and failed to ask God for mercy for this fatal sin. To the rest of the world, it probably looked like this Pharisee had it right, but Jesus saw it otherwise!
Any Jewish person who worked as a tax collector was considered a ‘sinner’ by the society of Jesus’ day. But this man was humble and recognized his need of forgiveness. He confessed that he was a sinner and took ownership of his own mistakes. He did not blame God or claim to be a victim of someone else’s sin. He humbly asked God for the mercy he knew he needed. This attitude caught Jesus’ attention and Jesus said that this man went home justified! “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” (Luke 18:14b)