Jesus asks Matthew, the tax collector, to be a disciple
(From the Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 9, verses 9-13)

Jesus couldn't do God's work all by himself. He needed help. So he asked people to be his helpers. "Follow me," he said to them. "Come. Travel with me. Help me spread the good news about God's love for everyone. Live with me. Together, we can show everyone how to get along as children of God."

Pretty soon, Jesus had a small group of friends who went everywhere that he went. They were called disciples.

One day Jesus and his disciples were walking together. They saw a tax collector sitting by himself in his office, counting his money.

"I can't stand tax collectors," one of Jesus' friends said.

"Why?" Jesus asked him.

"Because they are greedy. They take money that doesn't belong to them," he replied. "That guy over there – his name is Matthew – he's been to my house. My tax bill was 5 silver coins, but he made me give him 6. I know he kept the extra coin for himself. It's not fair! He gets a pay check every month, but he makes extra money by taking it from poor people like me. If you don't give him what he wants, he makes life really hard for you."

"That explains why he's all alone," Jesus said.

"I wouldn't be friends with Matthew if he was the last guy on earth!" his disciple told Jesus. "And I bet that goes for the rest of us. Am I right?" He looked at the group of Jesus' friends.

They all nodded in agreement. No one wanted to be friends with tax collectors. No one liked tax collectors.

Jesus walked up to Matthew. "Matthew," he said, "I want you to come with me. I want you to join my circle of friends. Help us teach everyone about God. Live with us and show others what it looks like when people take care of each other, just like God wants."

Matthew looked at Jesus. Then he looked over at his house. It was a nice house. He'd used the extra money he'd taken from people to build and furnish it. It was the nicest house in town. But no one came to visit Matthew at his home. When Matthew had a party, no one came. He was pretty lonely, and he knew why.

"Jesus," Matthew said. "I do want to go with you. Living with you and these men has got to be better than the life I have now."

Jesus smiled at Matthew and clapped his hands together. He was happy! "Let's celebrate!" He turned to the other disciples. "We'll stay here tonight so that we can have supper in Matthew's house before he has to leave it behind."

The disciples were dumbfounded. Jesus wanted to eat at the home of this greedy tax collector? What was he thinking?

Matthew closed up his office and set to work preparing a wonderful meal for Jesus and his friends. Before too long, news began to spread through town that Jesus was going to eat with Matthew. Other tax collectors came to Matthew's house to see if it was true. Others came, too – people who were sick and disabled, and women with hungry children. They were hungry and lonely. Matthew invited them in and found room for everyone at his table. There was food and drink for everyone – and much laughter and conversation, too.

The local Jewish leaders came to Matthew's house. They couldn't believe what they saw. They pulled one of Jesus' disciples outside and asked, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and those who are sick and poor?" From inside the house, Jesus heard their question. He came outside.

"Come in," he said them. "Join us!"

"We can't do that," the leaders told him. "We have gotten ourselves ready to lead worship in this village this week. If we go in there and rub up against the tax collectors who cheat people, or those who have sick germs all over them, or women who have no husbands, we will get dirty. Then we can't do our job. You should get out there, too, Jesus. Those people are disgusting! They don't belong with the rest of us."

"Oh, my friends, you are wrong about that," Jesus told them. "God wants me to be friends with everyone. That means eating and talking and playing with people whom no one else wants to be with. We are God's beloved children. We all belong at the same table."

Questions to think and pray about:
Have you ever been left out? How did that feel?
Have you ever been kind to somebody that no one likes? How did that feel?
Why do you think Jesus wanted Matthew to become his disciple?
Why do you think Jesus wants you to be his disciple?

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