The Outsiders | Who Does Jesus Call?

As Jesus continued on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at a kiosk for collecting taxes. He said to him, "Follow me," and he got up and followed him.

As Jesus sat down to eat in Matthew's house, many tax collectors and sinners joined Jesus and his disciples at the table.

But when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?"

When Jesus heard it, he said, "Healthy people don't need a doctor, but sick people do. Go and learn what this means: I want mercy and not sacrifice. I didn't come to call righteous people, but sinners." 

Matthew 9:9-13(Common English Bible)

In first-century Jewish society, tax collectors were considered traitors. They worked for Rome, the occupying power. They collected taxes from their own people and often charged extra to line their own pockets. They were seen as collaborators who'd sold out their community for personal gain.

So tax collectors weren't just unpopular. They were considered morally compromised, ritually unclean, and spiritually unworthy. No respectable rabbi would associate with them, let alone call one to be a disciple.

But that's exactly what Jesus did. Jesus saw Matthew sitting at his tax-collecting booth and said, "Follow me." No interview. No background check. No waiting period to see if Matthew would clean up his act first. Just "Follow me."

And then Jesus went to Matthew's house and ate with him and his friends, who were also tax collectors and sinners. This wasn't a private meeting. This was a public statement. Jesus was identifying with people that everyone else had written off.

The Pharisees couldn’t believe it. They asked Jesus' disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?" The implication was clear: if Jesus were a real rabbi, a real teacher, a real man of God, he wouldn't associate with people like this. He wouldn't lower his standards. He wouldn't compromise his reputation.

But Jesus didn't see it that way. Jesus said, "Healthy people don't need a doctor, but sick people do." In other words, Jesus came for people who know they need help. Jesus came for people who are broken, struggling, and disqualified. Jesus came for people who don't meet the standards.

And then Jesus said something even more radical: "I want mercy and not sacrifice. I didn't come to call righteous people, but sinners."

This is who Jesus is. This is what Jesus does. Jesus doesn't call people who have it all together. Jesus calls people who are falling apart. Jesus doesn't choose people who meet the qualifications. Jesus chooses people who've been disqualified. Jesus doesn't wait for people to prove they're worthy. Jesus calls them anyway.

But we keep trying to impose qualifications that Jesus never required. We keep deciding who's worthy and who's not. We keep writing people off based on their past, their present, or their potential.

But Jesus called Matthew. Jesus ate with tax collectors and sinners. Jesus said, "I came to call sinners, not righteous people."

So who have we decided isn't qualified? Who have we written off because their life is too messy or their past is too complicated? Who have we excluded because they don't meet our standards?

Because here's the truth: if we're requiring people to clean up their lives before we'll welcome them, we're requiring something Jesus never required. If we're making people prove they're worthy before we'll call them disciples, we're rebuilding barriers that Jesus tore down. If we're treating people like they're disqualified when Jesus says they're called, we're working against what Jesus is doing.

Jesus came for sinners. Jesus calls the unqualified. Jesus welcomes the people we've written off. And if we're going to follow Jesus, we need to stop deciding who's worthy and start welcoming everyone Jesus calls.

Prayer:

God, forgive us for deciding who's qualified to follow you. Forgive us for requiring people to meet standards you never set. Forgive us for writing off people you've called. Help us see people the way you see them, not as projects who need to be fixed before they're welcome, but as beloved children you're inviting to follow you right now, exactly as they are. Give us courage to welcome the people we've decided aren't qualified. Amen.