Matthew 9:12-13 When Jesus heard that, He said to them, ”Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’ For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”

 

Matthew, himself, describes the circumstances when he was called by Jesus to be one of the Twelve Disciples. Matthew was a self-professed tax collector, a publican. These people were evil, ruthless, and greedy. They cheated the general population out of money, and Matthew was right in the middle of this ring of sinners. In fact, many believe he was the ringleader in that area. In the world today, they could be compared to a ring of IRS collection agents who got paid on commission; the more they collected, the more they got paid, and Matthew was the leader of the pack.

 

However, out of a life of sin, dominated by greed and pride, the Lord called Matthew to be one of His Disciples. Amazing! Matthew recounts it like this: As Jesus passed on from there, He saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, “Follow Me.” So he arose and followed Him.

 

Jesus simply saw Matthew sitting at his workplace and spoke two simple words to him. In that instant, Matthew’s life was changed forever. Somehow through the darkness of his sinful lifestyle, the Light of the Savior made it’s way to Matthew’s heart, and when Jesus said, “Follow Me.” Matthew did just that. he arose and followed Him.

 

Matthew asked no questions of Jesus. He didn’t say, “Follow you where?” or “Where are we going?” or “Can my family come with me?” or “Will I have to quit work?” Matthew didn’t ask a single question; he simply arose from his chair and went with Jesus. In the midst of his sin, he knew he was in the Presence of God.

 

Shortly after that, Jesus and his Disciples went to Matthew’s house to eat, and a lot of Matthew’s old tax-collecting buddies came over to see what was going on. Now it happened, as Jesus sat at the table in the house, that behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Him and His Disciples. It's important to note that Jesus did not have dinner with them…..they sat down and had dinner with Jesus and His Disciples. Anytime Jesus is on the scene, things are done His Way and by His Terms. His Presence changes the atmosphere wherever it happens to be.

 

I’m sure Jesus talked with the men that evening, and in the midst of their sinful lives, He showed them all His Mercy and offered them Forgiveness because as He states in the 13th Verse, I have not come to call the Righteous, but sinners to Repentance.  We do not know how many of them followed Jesus; we only know that He ministered Love and Mercy to them as He did to everyone. What they chose to do with His Love and Mercy was up to them.

 

Jesus, through the Holy Spirit, still operates in the exact same way today. Jesus came in the flesh to call sinners to Repentance. Today, He comes in the Spirit to call people to Repentance. Every born-again believer in Christ has, by His Great Mercy, been called and saved out of a life of sin.

 

Repentance is the Call of God. It always has been, and it always will be.  Repentance is a Gift from God; a form of Healing, and just as it has always done, Repentance still sets people free!

 

Repentance will……..turn the tide

 

Praise God for the Gift of Repentance,      Doreen

 

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