ChosenRebel's Blog

Scene from “The Chosen”

⁹ As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, 

“Follow me.” 

And he rose and followed him.

¹⁰ And as Jesus reclined at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and his disciples. ¹¹ And 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 it, 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, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Observations:

1.  Jesus calls Matthew to follow. “And he rose and followed him.” — obedience is important and starts everything good in the Christian life.

2. Many tax collectors and sinners came to see what Jesus was up to in Matthew’s life. — outcasts are interested when someone doesn’t treat them like a outcasts.

3. Religious people get upset when Jesus doesn’t follow their rules and associates with those they think of as unholy rather than as human beings.  — The Pharisees were ahead of their time with their own cancel-culture.

4. Jesus comes for people who are humble enough to admit their need. — Let us cultivate humble hearts and find the presence of Christ calling us with the words “Follow Me.”

Matthew 9:9-13 (ESV)