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On Jesus Christ goes, from one exciting challenging scene to another. A leper has been cleansed, a sick woman healed, a storm rebuked and demonized people calmed, and a paralysed man forgiven, and enabled to walk, with restored mobility. Of course, there is conflict too, from those religious leaders, and that is something we also have to contend with today.

The coming of Jesus Christ into this fallen sinful rebellious world gives rise to controversy, conflict, anger, and rage.

As we move on in Matthew Chapter 9, we read of the calling of Levi. This is Matthew, and he is at work collecting taxes, and he is called by Jesus Christ while doing his everyday work, when he was not when expecting something special to happen.

Remember that at that time most of these tax collectors were thieves, rogues, rascals and highly corrupt. We are not the first generation to experience these characteristics among some of the people who handle financial transactions!

There is no exorbitant corruption charged against Matthew. Was he an exception to the rule? His friends were corrupt; no doubt about that. Matthew was not a chief tax collector like Zacchaeus, but he belonged to a suspect fraternity, although no charge is levelled at Matthew.

Jesus wanted Matthew. Did Jesus see He could make something out of Matthew? Did Jesus see an able man who needed a challenge; a man with potential, who would and could rise to the challenge? Here is a man very different from the fishermen, but he was as definite in leaving his office as were the fishermen. There was nothing hole-in-the-corner here. Jesus never does things in corners. Jesus works out in the open for all to see.

Matthew throws a party or a banquet and this is recorded in Luke 5 too, and there is every indication that Matthew was breaking with his past. It is good just to make a clean break with the past. You know where you stand with people then.

“Follow Me.” There is no persuasion and no arm twisting, or interview, or argument.

There is such a variety of backgrounds and temperaments among the twelve.

His first reaction was to throw a party. Is that what we encourage today when someone comes to real faith in Jesus Christ? Matthew used the opportunity. Here is evangelism in its simplest form, and within a short time he is facing criticism.

"Why is Jesus at a party with that crowd, when there are nice people like us?"

Jesus saw sin like a disease. They were not interested in repentance. These two groups are quite amazing.

A trick question arises. Do study the text. They are trying to set one group off against another. Our group does this. Jesus says that it is a time for joy. The days will come when it will be appropriate to fast.

Jesus goes on to speak about the bridegroom. Who is He meaning when He refers to being taken away? What is this all about? Who was going to take Him away?

Jesus had the future completely mapped out.

These Pharisees should have been the doctors working alongside Jesus, but they needed a doctor.

There are certain things which don't mix. You cannot put new wine into old wineskins. We read here of the folly of spoiling the new in an attempt to patch up the old. New wine, with all its liveliness and potential, must be put in new bottles.

You cannot encapsulate and capture the life and power of the Holy Spirit within the old structures and rituals. That is something we are continually having to learn.

These Pharisees could not take new truth. They were closed to new truths. We saw this in the Sermon on the Mount. Their righteousness was proved to be a complete fake. The Pharisee, in Luke, who prayed to himself, indicates what these men were like.

The majority are not always right. It was the majority who made the Golden Calf.

This ‘outcast’ Levi was called by Jesus. He could never return to his business. Jesus called such a man and the Pharisees withdrew from tax collectors, and they withdrew from Jesus, and yet, Jesus gave Himself to these people in their home.

There was no leper too vile and no tax collector too corrupt and no sinner too seriously and deeply entrenched in sin for Jesus Christ to call.

Jesus is not simply patching up Matthew, but making him new. Many people just wanted something patched up and repaired rather than be rescued and saved and restored. Jesus Christ does more than just change the outside. Jesus deals with the heart and mind and character.

"Word from Scotland" from Sandy Shaw

A Needy Man Calls Out for Help Jesus Responds and Answers