e-vo for week of September 21

Dearest e-votees-

Thursday of this week is set aside as the day to commemorate the apostle Matthew. The lectionary has assigned texts for these days as well. For today’s devotional time let us consider the appointed gospel text for this commemoration.

Peace,
Karl

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9 As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth; and he said to him, "Follow me." And he got up and followed him. 10 And as he sat at dinner in the house, many tax collectors and sinners came and were sitting with him and his disciples. 11 When the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?" 12 But when he heard this, he said, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 13 Go and learn what this means, "I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have come to call not the righteous but sinners."

Matthew 9:9-13, NRSV

Matthew (aka Levi in Luke 5:27-32 and aka Levi son of Alphaeus in Mark 2:13-17) is a sellout. He’s collaborating with the occupying force (the Romans) to collect tax for them. Most likely he’s over-collecting to improve his bottom line. When the Pharisees make an issue of Jesus’ associations they lump all other sinners together yet give tax collectors their own category. Tax collectors were exceedingly poorly regarded. You would never want your kid to come home from school with the results of his vocational aptitude test leaning strongly towards tax collector. Jesus knew the shame and stigma of being a tax collector. And so he approaches Matthew and extends a call to discipleship.

Jesus knows us—better than we know ourselves. Jesus knows our secret places of shame and stigma. Jesus knows how many ways we and others might try to disqualify ourselves from being worthy of his attention. We might wonder what the creator of the universe and the Word incarnate might want to have to do with us. If we asked Jesus he would respond to us as he did to the Pharisees—“Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have come to call not the righteous but sinners.” and “Follow me.” Jesus calls comes because of and to trump our unrighteousness.

Jesus knows others—better than we know them. Jesus knows their secret places of shame and stigma. Jesus knows how many ways they might try to disqualify themselves from being worthy of his attention. Jesus knows how much we might try to judge them as outside the grace and mercy of God. I heard long ago that when we try to draw lines of who is with Jesus and who is not we always find ourselves on the opposite side of the line as Jesus. There is some deep truth to that. Jesus comes for all—particularly the lost, the broken, the shamed, the stigmatized, the sick, the tax collectors, the sinners and those we and others would write off.

Jesus takes a stand with the lepers, the prostitutes, the sinners, those caught in adultery, the Samaritans, the demon-plagued and the broken. That is the good news of the gospel.

St. Matthew is the patron saint of bookkeepers, accountants, money managers, tax collectors, bankers, custom officers, security guards, etc. Good thing he spent some time learning about how to keep a gracious accounting from the one who puts our name in the book of life. May we be blessed by the account of Matthew’s life and his account of Jesus’ ministry in the gospel bearing his name. May we all be drawn in and sent out by the Great Commission that brings that gospel to a glorious close.


Jesus, thank you for the call to follow you. Help us lean into your righteousness rather than sulk and hunker down in our sinfulness. Help us know your mercy. Help us be agents of your mercy. Use us to live out your Great Commission. Amen.