That's Not in the Bible: God Accepts Us the Way We Are

New Living Translation Chapter 9

As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at his tax collector’s booth. “Follow me and be my disciple,” Jesus said to him. So Matthew got up and followed him.

10 Later, Matthew invited Jesus and his disciples to his home as dinner guests, along with many tax collectors and other disreputable sinners. 11 But when the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with such scum?”

12 When Jesus heard this, he said, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do.” 13 Then he added, “Now go and learn the meaning of this Scripture: ‘I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices.’ For I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.”

This passage comes right after Jesus has been questioned for his statements to the paralytic man when he forgave his sins. The Pharisees question his authority and wonder who he thinks he is trying to forgive people of their sin; only God can do that! Jesus displays his power and authority by healing the man, a proof of his ability to forgive sins. Jesus then doubles down on his ability to forgive sins by calling the most vile of sinners, a tax collector! Now Jesus has done it! He is forgiving people left and right and now he’s justifying a tax collector who hangs out with scum!

Friend of Sinners

Jesus is a friend of sinners. He welcomes them in his presence and doesn’t shy away from entering in to their midst. He demonstrates a Gospel necessity to go to people who are lost and messed up. This Gospel is written by the same Matthew that Jesus would meet on this day. Luke 5:27 tells us that Jesus looked upon him and beheld him or enjoyed the sight of him. He was excited by this moment of meeting with Matthew/Levi because something amazing was about to happen to him. He was about to be set free from a life of sin and placed on a path of life and repentance that would forever change him.

Jesus asks him to follow him and then immediately accepts an invitation to a banquet (in Jesus’ honor) at Matthew’s house. Our surface translation of this passage leads us to believe that Jesus was cool with Matthew being a vile sinner and by extension, cool with hanging out with the other degenerates. To us, we get hope because if Jesus is cool with sinner, then he is probably ok with their sin. He doesn’t judge them, he just hangs out with them. We surmise that this means Jesus doesn’t really care about the sins of these despicable tax collectors who cheat and rob people on a daily basis. Somehow, we are missing the radical transformation that takes place in Matthew’s life in a matter of seconds. Jesus invites him to follow and Matthew does something very significant… “Levi (Matthew) got up, left everything and followed [Jesus]. Luke 5:27

Hope for Every Life

Hope for Every Life