NT Challenge Companion--Day 5!

Friday, Jan. 29, 2010 Reading for the Day:  Matt. 9-10 and Acts 13-15 Focus on Matt. 9:9-13

Matthew 9:9-13 has always been one of my favorite Scriptures.  Why?  Because Jesus called the most unlikely guy in the world to be His disciple:  Matthew.  Matthew was everything a disciple is not:  He was a traitor, probably a crook, undoubtedly hated by most of the people who knew him who weren't tax collectors.  Yet, Jesus CHOSE him!  Then, Matthew threw a party for all his friends.  He wanted them to meet Jesus.  As the party rolled on the Pharisees--the religious guys-- showed up and asked WHY?  Why a sinner?  Why does the "Master" eat with sinners?  The short answer:  That's all there are: sinners.  The passage shows three kinds of sinners:  The tax collector sinners, who knew they were sinners; the disciple sinners, who were already being transformed by Jesus; and the Pharisee sinners, whose chief sins were hypocrisy and self-righteousness.  Jesus made it clear that He had come to call SINNERS to repentance.  By God's grace, we who ARE sinners, have been called into God's family through the shed blood of Jesus.  Matthew gives hope to all of us, because if Jesus could call Him, then Jesus can call us!

Heavenly Father, Thank You so much for having Jesus choose Matthew.  Thank You for showing me in that selection that You have room in Your family for every, single one of us.  God, forgive me for my sins, and fill me anew with Your Holy Spirit that I may live in humility and love toward everyone I know.  May my life be blessed by You so I can be a blessing in Jesus' name to everyone around me.  This I pray in Jesus' name.  Amen.