Day 12 of 49
Matthew’s Party
In first century Judea, a party or feast, especially with a celebrity, excited a whole village, even the uninvited. The host made sure no other parties had been planned. He sent out invitations and the invitees RSVP’d. He provided plenty of food and drink for his guests.
The host welcomed the invited into the housing complex containing a number of couches and pillows where the guest could lie down to enjoy the banquet…they didn’t sit like we do. The most honored guests sat near the host, and the least honorable guest…well, you were inside.
The uninvited watched and listened over the walls of the house. With no TV or radio, a local party held great entertainment.
And as he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him.
15 And as he reclined at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners were reclining with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many who followed him.
16 And the scribes of the Pharisees, when they saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, said to his disciples, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
17 And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”
Mk 2:14–17.
Tax collectors held bad reputations. Some Jews considered them to be traitors since they collected money from the Jews for the Romans. Some cheated their fellow Jews by saying they owed more tax than they did and then pocketing the difference. Most became very wealthy.
Enter Jesus, he calls the tax collector to follow him…along with Simon the Zealot, whose whole purpose before being called was to take down Rome in the most violent way possible. No wonder there were moments of conflict among the disciples, some were polar opposites.
Matthew, also called Levi, gave a party. He invited tax collectors and sinners as well as Jesus and his disciples. I wonder what was going through the head of the other disciples. “Really? A tax collector?”
The scribes and the Pharisees were not invited to this party, but they saw who attended and questioned Jesus about his choice of companions.
Jesus said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”
The Pharisees considered themselves to be righteous, so on one level this made sense to them. But, they also worked very hard to stay clear of the unrighteous so that they would not become unclean themselves. They believed that interacting with a sinner somehow corrupted them.
Matthew 9:13 adds this sentence, “Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice’. For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”
Jesus confronted the Pharisees several times, telling them to learn what it means to have mercy.
Extending mercy to others requires an acknowledgement that we need mercy ourselves. All of us fit into the category of sinners who need a Savior. I think sometimes we forget that and can be a bit judgmental like the Pharisees.
But Jesus, like his Father was always ready to show mercy, to welcome the unloved and unwanted, to extend his grace and open the door for the repentant to come to the Father. He desires that we do the same.
Lord, remind us of our own beginnings with you. Help us to extend grace and mercy to those around us who do not know your loving care and mercy.
Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful. Lk 6:36.
TRICIA LATHROP 