As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the customs post. He said to him, "Follow me." And he got up and followed him. While he was at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat with Jesus and his disciples. The Pharisees saw this and said to his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?" He heard this and said, "Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do. Go and learn the meaning of the words, 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' I did not come to call the righteous but sinners." (Mt 9:9-13)
I wonder what criteria Jesus had in choosing his disciples. He chose Peter, Andrew, James and John who were fishing and in fact called them while they were at work. Here again he called Matthew sitting at the customs post. Did he choose only those who were working? Was ability to work, a criteria? The promptness with which these disciples followed him leaving their jobs is also interesting.
Tax collectors were also joined to the sinners thus making them impure. The other religious leaders did not associate with the tax collectors because they collaborated with the ‘hated Roman authorities’ and also they collected extra money for themselves. But here, Jesus is in table-fellowship with tax collectors. What sort of a religious leader is Jesus?
Jesus had come to establish a kingdom-movement which was different from other religious movement. Jesus was right in the midst of God’s new work. And this work revealed the out pouring of the mercy of God. And God expected mercy from the people and not sacrifice. The kingdom-movement was, in fact, ushering in a new world where everything would be different. In this new world what was required was mercy.
