Friday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time

Jesus' earthly life is a journey of seeking and loving. He was always seeking and loving the poor, sick, and especially tax collectors and sinners. He not only went to their houses to eat, drink and share, but in today's gospel, Jesus also chose and called Matthew one of the tax collectors, who is considered a sinner.

In the eyes of people in the past, tax collectors were typically associated with sinners. Especially in the time of Jesus, the Jews were under the domination of the roman empire, so they hated those who did the job because they viewed tax collectors as traitors to people and even God. Even Matthew himself could not escape this kind of hateful, envious look from his people.

Jesus' calling Matthew the tax collector to be a disciple would have been surprising.

However, Jesus, a God of love, and forgiveness, slow to anger and full of mercy, approached Matthew, and attracted him. Now, possessions, money, and positions mean nothing to Matthew. God's loving call transformed his life and moved Matthew "immediately left everything and got up to follow him.” (Mt 9:9)

Matthew also invited Jesus to his house for a meal which may cause scandal, but Jesus did not refuse Matthew’s invitation. In ancient Judaism, table fellowship expressed covenant solidarity. Shared food and drink symbolized a shared life. By sharing a meal with many tax collectors and sinners, Jesus identifies himself with these covenant outsiders and welcomes them into his kingdom. It signals that Christ has come to be light to all the world, not just to the upright.

Jesus accepted to come into the world of the despised and sinful. He was at the table with sinners.

Seeing this, pharisees thought Jesus was inviting all the wrong people into his movement. That is why they ask the disciples why their teacher eats with tax collectors and sinners?

Jesus gives a twofold response. First, he explains that his mission to forgive sins (1:21) involves seeking sinners, just as a physician must go to the sick. Second, he tells the pharisees to go back to scripture and learn what Hosea means: I desire mercy, not sacrifice. Since sacrifice was supposed to express covenant love and faithfulness, Hosea said God desires "mercy," not (empty) sacrifices. The Greek word for mercy here is “eleos”, which often represents the Hebrew word “hesed”, meaning loyal, steadfast covenant love.

Jesus uses this quotation from Hosea to challenge the pharisees not to allow external practices to replace the steadfast love that must be shown to God and all his people, including sinners and tax collectors who have fallen away. He also teaches us that we must always be humble, like Matthew, who recognized himself as a sick, and sinful person before God in order to be forgiven and healed by God.

As a disciple of God, chosen by God, we are all called to humble ourselves and follow God by showing love and mercy for one another. And we are called to come into the world of the despised and sinful to be the light of God's love and forgiveness to all.

Loving God, give us a steadfast faith, trusting in your love and forgiveness so that we can always humbly recognize our weaknesses and mistakes, repent, and run to you to be forgiven by your love.

May God bless us all.