Jesus & Matthew
Jesus calls a wealthy and powerful individual.
Play this scene out a bit in your mind. And then consider the implications.
Whoever Matthew was, he is now a significant figure in our faith.
Sometimes in American Christianity, we can allow Jesus’ emphasis to serve with those impoverished to overshadow his ministry toward those who are wealthy. It’s an interesting and important dynamic to consider. There’s no doubt from the totality of his ministry - it rings true that “if it’s not good news to the poor, it’s not good news.” Yet those changed lives of those who are wealthy plays a significant role in such good news. And we should suppress the notion that Jesus would change a wealthy and powerful life like Matthew only to help the poor he would otherwise take advantage of (or Nicodemus or Zacchaeus or the Roman centurion or Saul/Paul or …).
More simply: Jesus loved and cared for Matthew the tax collector for his own good.
It was a disrupting phenomenon for Matthew to follow Jesus. We see it immediately in the response of the Pharisees. But we can imagine it from other established people as well.
Jesus’ redemption is for all people in all walks of life in all situations of socioeconomics.
Matthew 9:9-13
As Jesus continued on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at a kiosk for collecting taxes. He said to him, “Follow me,” and he got up and followed him. As Jesus sat down to eat in Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners joined Jesus and his disciples at the table.
But when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
When Jesus heard it, he said, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor, but sick people do. Go and learn what this means: I want mercy and not sacrifice. I didn’t come to call righteous people, but sinners.”
Prayer
God,
Our society - and life itself - drives us to categorize people in deeply forming ways. Rich/poor. Male/female. Short/tall. Gay/straight. Married/single/divorced. Immigrant/citizen. Suburban/urban/rural. Liberal/conservative. Christian/nonChristian. Knowledgeable/ignorant. And so on…
God, give me the eyes of Jesus to see individuals.
By your spirit & in Christ,
Amen.
This is beautiful. One comment: immigrant is not the opposite of citizen. The great majority of immigrants are citizens (in the US). Thank you for challenging my thinking on Jesus’ attitude toward the wealthy.