Matthew, the tax collector. 2023 Lenten Blog Post #2

As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at his tax collector’s booth. “Follow me and be my disciple,” Jesus said to him. So Matthew got up and followed him.

Later, Matthew invited Jesus and his disciples to his home as dinner guests, along with many tax collectors and other disreputable sinners. (Matthew 9:9-10, New Living Translation)

Matthew, also known as Levi, may be one of the most well-known disciples. He stands out mostly because of his previous occupation.

Tax collectors, also known at publicans, were Jews who worked for the Romans collecting taxes for transportation of goods. The Romans looked down on them because they were Jewish and they looked down on all Jews. And their fellow Jews really didn’t like them because they were working for the Romans. Also, they were known for being corrupt, often charging a higher tax than required and keeping the extra money for themselves.

Confession time for Chris. When I was a kid, I had a huge problem with Matthew. Because – my mother was a tax collector. She was the treasurer for our township. Every year, just after Thanksgiving, she gathered us around the kitchen table to stuff those tax bills into envelopes. Then during the Christmas season, in addition to all of the holiday preparations, Mom had set hours where residents could come to our house to pay their taxes in person if they wanted to.

I know that my mom was honest, and I saw the paper trail so I knew she couldn’t collect any more money than she was supposed to. Oh, and every day when she totaled the money she took in, she went over it multiple times to make sure the numbers agreed. But in my child’s brain, I was so afraid that someone would think less of her because of this job.

But then Matthew taught me something else. Jesus accepted him, just like He accepted everyone. No person could have an occupation which would keep Jesus from loving them. And if you thought the people hated Matthew because of his job, they really hated Jesus because He hung out with lowlife, like tax collectors.

So, if you ever think that you aren’t good enough, that what ever is in your past or present would keep Jesus from accepting you and offering you eternal life, get that thought out of your head. Jesus loves us all and forgives us all. All we have to do is turn our lives over to Him.