Begin with two minutes of stillness and silence before God.

It is easy from our place in time and culture to miss the significance of Mark 2. You and I read that Jesus encountered a man at work and invited him to follow. Not all that different than His invitation to the fishermen Peter, Andrew, James, and John. For the original audience, however, Matthew’s tax booth was a drastically different setting than Peter’s fishing boat.

Here is a bit of the backstory to help us understand the setting. During the lifetime of Jesus, the nation of Israel was under the rule of the Roman government, which meant the Jewish people were subject to whatever the Romans demanded. Ruling all of its territories was not an easy logistical task for the nation of Roman. So, in order to keep all their territories in line, the Roman government would pay locals to enforce their tax laws. These locals, with very little oversight, often became greedy and used their Roman given authority to impose harsher taxes on the people so they could keep a little for themselves.

As a result, tax collectors, like Matthew, were often considered the worst kind of traitors imaginable. You can see the tension even in the language used throughout the New Testament. As Mark recounts this story there are two categories of people, “tax collectors” and “sinners.” The tax collectors were in a special bracket that the ordinary sinners didn’t even fit in. Jesus knew all of this firsthand and still steps in with an unthinkable invitation to follow.

Typically, when we read this story, we are left with a takeaway something like, “God wants to reach the worst people around me.” I think, however, this story is more of a mirror than a lens. Meaning it is meant to reflect our lives more than influence how we see others. When we realize that we are most likely sitting in the booth with Matthew this story takes on a whole new tone.

Let me show you a few things that stick out from Matthew’s vantage point.

• Jesus meets you where you are. Matthew was in the literal place that brought him shame and condemnation when Jesus met him with compassion. Jesus isn’t waiting for us to figure life out. He meets us even in the mess.
  
• Jesus meets who you are. To share a meal with those that culture labeled “tax collectors” and “sinners” was unimaginable for a Jewish Rabbi. Jesus should have been way above the level of these people. In His compassion, however, He moves past societal norms and labels to show us who we are in God’s eyes.
  
• Jesus loves you too much to leave you there. While, yes, He meets who are where we are, He does so to call us to a better way of life. He is the great physician offering healing to the hurting.

Take two minutes to reflect in silence.

Reflection:

• Are there places of shame or condemnation you are hiding? Healing begins when we confess and repent. 
• Think about a time or season when you felt unlovable. Even in your worst moments, God has not given up on you. Take some time to pray and thank Him for His mercies that are new every morning.
• Prayer: Dear Lord, thank You for meeting me where I'm at and not leaving me where you found me! You look beyond labels and the things I've done and adopt me as Your child. Thank You for giving me a better life that is found in being with You! In Jesus' name, Amen.