We have seen that Jesus willingly came to Matthew’s dinner party. We’ve heard the loaded question to the disciples from some snoopy Pharisees who passed by to observe this gathering. 

“Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and ‘sinners’?” Matthew 9:11

In other words, “Why doesn’t your master try to make inroads with us? After all, we are the faithful ones. We study the Holy Scriptures. We regularly take our sacrifices to the Temple. We are the good guys. He shouldn’t be eating with the bad guys.”

When the disciples failed to answer the question, Jesus stepped in to make it clear to everyone why he had come.

“It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” Luke 5:31

 Matthew, Mark, and Luke all recorded this same answer, but Matthew added one more response from Jesus.

“But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ ” Matthew 9:13

The Pharisees’ animal sacrifices had become common place to them, a duty, a mere routine—no thought of seeing through the eyes of a merciful God.

Now, let’s shift our movie camera over to Matthew, the host, to see how he is responding to all this drama. No doubt he had been excited about this dinner and the possibility of influencing his friends to become believers in Jesus. How did he feel about it now with the self-righteous Pharisees coming on the attack and the lack of support from his fellow disciples?

Surely he trusted Jesus to turn this negative scene into a positive lesson by showing Matthew’s friends that they were loved. Knowing Jesus’ ability at teaching and parable-telling, Matthew must have believed Jesus would make the love of God and the need for repentance just as clear to his friends as He had to Matthew. Regrettably, Matthew does not give us further details.

We see in this text a classic example of “hate the sin, love the sinner.” Obviously, Jesus did not approve of the cheating and greediness of the tax collectors nor the immorality of the prostitutes, or the drunkenness of the wine bibbers, but he loved them just as he loves us all. Matthew wanted us to hear Jesus’ words of challenge to desire mercy more than judgement or ritual. We see Matthew’s desire that his friends come to know the Savior. Thank you, Lord, for Matthew’s boldness. May we go and do likewise.

Personal note: What else did Matthew learn as a growing follower of Jesus? What caused him to become a tax collector? After conversion, did he have a hard time fitting in with the other disciples? In private, did they continue to refer to him as “the tax collector?” As I continue writing my next book, I will be attempting to look through the eyes of Matthew and ponder “the rest of his story.” I’m only to chapter four, so I have a long way to go. I’ll keep you posted!

~ Joyce ~