scum

Matthew 9 

9 As Jesus was walking along, 

he saw a man named Matthew sitting at his tax collector’s booth. 

“Follow me and be my disciple,” Jesus said to him. 

So Matthew got up and followed him.

10 Later, Matthew invited Jesus and his disciples to his home as dinner guests, 

along with many tax collectors and other notorious sinners. 

11 But when the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, 

“Why does your teacher eat with such scum?”

12 When Jesus heard this, he said, 

“Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do.” 

13 Then he added, “Now go and learn the meaning of this Scripture: 

‘I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices.’ 

For I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, 

but those who know they are sinners.”

********

As I read through the Gospels, I always feel compelled to share the account of Jesus calling Matthew.

These are some of the things on which it challenges me...

Tax collectors we probably the most hated "sinners" by the Jews because they were collaborators with the hated Romans.

And yet, Jesus called one of the most hated people in Jewish culture to be one of His disciples.

Matthew held a banquet for Jesus & his disciples with guests known as "notorious" sinners.

I find it interesting that notorious sinners found something compelling about Jesus & WANTED to be around Him.

I also find it even more interesting that Jesus was unfazed by the sins of the notorious & obviously WANTED to be around notorious sinners.

The super righteous church leaders found Jesus' penchant for hanging out with people the Pharisees called "scum" to be particularly odious - no surprise there - church leaders down through the millennia have a penchant for judging people who don't fit into their idea of "acceptable" people.

All this begs these questions...

As followers of Jesus, are we so filled with His Spirit that we WANT to be around the notorious sinners of our day?

And is there so much of Jesus' identity in us that the notorious sinners of today WANT to be around us?

Or are we far more interested in being perceived as politically correct by the Pharisees of our day?