The Story of the Storyteller

As we walk with Jesus through Matthew’s pages, it’s good to be aware of God’s life-transforming touch upon the Gospel-writer’s life—and it was quite a touch!  You see, before he met Jesus, Matthew (also known as Levi) was a tax collector (9:9; 10:3).

When you hear the words, “tax collector,” don’t imagine a desk job with the IRS or a neighborhood office of H&R Block.  Envision, instead, an opportunistic, greedy, corrupt, back-stabbing neighbor working for Rome to make a major profit off of his Jewish kinsmen.  Not surprisingly, then, tax collectors we despised.  In the sight of the upright Jewish Pharisees, tax collectors were lumped together with “sinners” (9:11)—scum of the earth.

But Jesus didn’t despise this spiritually and morally compromised man.  Rather, he had compassion on Matthew and singled him out for a personal visit:  “Jesus … 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” (9:9-10).  At this, the proud Pharisees objected:  How can you eat together with such company?

Jesus’ reply says it all:  “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick” (9:12).  You see, he looked at a “filthy sinner” and saw right through to a troubled, sick soul.  And he showed compassion.  Most likely, Matthew had gotten used to being loathed in his community.  Just think, then, what it meant to be loved, accepted:  his heart was changed by God’s saving grace.

And in the Lord’s providence, Matthew was led to record the life and teachings of his Savior for the church of his day, and for believers the world over and down through the ages.  What a glorious life-transformation.  And Jesus is in the same spiritual business of changing hearts today.  Have you met him?  And are you viewing today’s sinners through his eyes of compassion?