'As Jesus passed on from there, 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 (Mt. 9:9-13).”’
Jesus left Capernaum after healing a paralytic and called Matthew a tax collector to follow him. Matthew is called Levi in the other Synoptic Gospels of Mark and Luke. Tax collectors were disliked by the Jews because they worked for the Roman authorities. The Romans were an oppressive occupying force. Tax collectors were considered disloyal and their collaboration with the Romans was considered treasonous by the Jews. They often charged more than was legally due and pocketed the difference. Tax collectors and sinners were social outcasts. The Gospel stated that Matthew immediately got up and followed Jesus. Matthew most likely had prior knowledge of Jesus, just as Simon Peter and Andrew had, and was ready to follow Jesus. Jesus came to save sinners, the outcasts, so he could not do so unless he exposed himself to them in the same way a doctor must expose himself to sick people to physically heal them. However, by exposing himself to sinners the Pharisees saw Jesus as also being ritually unclean. It is through the mercy of God that sinners are saved, not through sacrifice.
Almighty God, you call each of us as we are and patiently wait for us to turn to you and accept your grace and boundless mercy. Your Son invites us to dine with you so you can give us our daily bread, forgive our sins, and restore us to the joy we shared with you at creation. Help us to recognize our own sinfulness and respond to your love with contrite and humble hearts so that you may cleanse us and welcome your servants into your kingdom when our toil is done. This we pray through Christ our Lord. Amen!
References:
Raymond E. Brown, Joseph A. Fitzmyer, & Roland E. Murphy, (Eds.). (1990, 1968). The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentis Hall, Inc.
Jose M. Casciaro, Santiago Ausin, Gonzalo Aranda, Claudio Basevi, Vincente Balaguer, Francisco Varo, James Gavigan, Brian McCarthy & Thomas McGovern (Eds.). (2017). The Navarre Bible - New Testament. Dublin 8, Ireland: Four Courts Press.
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