Matthew: From Social Outcast to Follower of Jesus
Did you know Jesus goes out of His way to shock people by the company He keeps? Sinners, adulterers, the demon-possessed, the hungry, the poor, the weak, the uneducated. Jesus’ heart pulsates for the undesirables, the social outcasts, and even the hated tax collector.
In Matthew 9:9, right after healing a paralyzed man, Jesus “…saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth. ‘Follow me,’ he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him.” When Jesus told Matthew to follow Him, do you realize He was commanding him to a life of discipleship? “Matthew, walk as I walk; think as I think; choose as I choose; see as I see; and do as I do.” Upon hearing Jesus’ words, Matthew “got up and followed him.” The Greek word for “got up” is the same word used to describe the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. With new life pulsating in his veins, Matthew could say, like the Apostle Paul, “I no longer live, but Christ lives in me” (Galatians 2:20). Immediately, he left his tax booth, his employees, and all that money to pursue a life of following the words, the ways, the will, and the worship of Jesus. Talk about a paradigm shift!
Beloved, as a tax collector, nobody wanted Matthew. Not the religious establishment, not his fellow Jews, not even his family. But Jesus did. And, according to Luke 5:28, with eyes of faith, Matthew abandoned everything to follow Jesus. When Jesus looked at Matthew, he didn’t see a social outcast; rather, He saw a man who would become one of His 12 Apostles - a pillar in the early church, author of the first Gospel written, and a man who would ultimately give his life for his faith in Jesus. When Jesus looks at you, what does He see? Whether you are a social outcast or a social elite, know this: Jesus’ heart pulsates for you too! Today, hear Jesus’ words, and with abandonment, follow Him! You won’t regret it!
This is Laine Wilder for Carry the Light Ministries, bringing you Insights From an Elder.
by Laine Wilder
Author of “Insights From an Elder” for
Carry the Light Ministries
