The most unlikely disciples

Are you ever surprised by whom Jesus calls to be his disciples and missionaries? I am. And it amazes me that he chose me to be a church leader. When my high school friends first learned I was studying to be a Church minister they laughed. They thought I was the most unlikely candidate. I was a bit of a rebellious teenager and that’s how they remembered me. And I am reminded that Jesus calls the most unlikely people. To be honest, I think all people are a bit unlikely in a way. He doesn’t call any of us because we are good enough or righteous. Each one of us are called only by his mercy and grace.
The calling of Matthew in his Gospel (chapter 9:9-13) reminds us that it is God’s good pleasure and will to call sinners and rebellious people to himself. He wants to save them through faith and relationship with him. Matthew was a perfect example. He was a despised tax collector who mixed with the other outliers of his day. The Pharisees (religious people) frowned upon Jesus mixing with such sinners and tax collectors. They thought Jesus was terrible at teaching the people about God’s ways. But Jesus told them that he came to seek the lost and heal the sick and bring sinners to repentance, like those church leaders should have done.
Instead, those Pharisees were judgmental of sinners and stayed away from sick people. They were keeping God away from people. So, Jesus challenged them saying they don’t know their own scriptures. He told them to go away and read their bibles and try to understand what God meant when he said, “I desire mercy, not sacrifice”.
God desires that all sinners (which is all people) receive God's mercy through faith in him and what he’s done for us. He wants all of us who are recipients of his mercy and grace to show mercy and grace to others like Jesus did. The self-righteous Pharisees wouldn’t admit they were sinners in need of grace, who failed to enter the kingdom of God, and kept others out too.
Take time to reflect who you are more like; judgmental pharisees or Matthew who responded to Jesus’ call to follow him and repented of his sinfulness and introduced Jesus to all his friends, so they could receive his mercy too.
Will you be like Matthew and share the good news of Jesus with your friends this week?
Maybe you could bring someone along to church this week as Adam Copeland brings us a meaningful message based on this scripture.
Peace to you in the name of Christ,
Rev. Tanya