Read Matthew 9:9-38
A Willing Man
After Jesus heals this man and handles the criticism of the Pharisees, He meets Matthew. A tax collector. A despised tax collector. The religious saw this man and those like him as someone who was dirty. “Is he really going to eat with them?” This is what sets Jesus apart.
Jesus is not someone who is afraid of our dirtiness!
Jesus has never been afraid to even touch a leaper. Why would a tax collector make Him shy away from the Father’s Will.
I want to courage of Jesus.
“God, make me much more bold than I have a tendency of being…”
I love how the Voice translation words what is happening right here between the Pharisees and Jesus. He redirects them right back to the Scriptures they would have known and studied. He is reminding them of the eternal truth.
This is why Jesus came. He came for us. He came for the broken. He came for the dirty. He came for sinners like you and me.
“Look, who needs a doctor—healthy people or sick people?
I am not here to attend to people who are already
right with God; I am here to attend to sinners. In the book of
the prophet Hosea, we read, “It is not sacrifice I want, but
mercy.” Go and meditate on that for a while—maybe
you’ll come to understand it (vv. 12-13).”
Jesus proves this truth repeatedly in the New Testament. Read Matthew 9:18-38, and you will get just a glimpse of this.
The Joyful Healing
There is no better way to describe what happens in a person’s spirit when they call upon the name of the Lord and experience His healing. It doesn’t matter if it is physical, emotional, or spiritual healing. The inward change is the same: Absolute joy! How do you stand in need of His healing touch today?
Just in this small portion, we are reminded of quite a few number of families that are forever changed! For the full list, visit Matthew 9:18-33 found in your Bible. Stories like this one, where Jesus drives out the demons and a mute man may speak – leaving the crowd in utter amazement (see vv. 33).
We know the heart of our Savior. He is the One who utterly cares. Even when we are at our worst, He is at His best!
“Whenever crowds came to Him, He had compassion for
them because they were so deeply distraught, malaise,
and heart-broken. They seemed to Him like
lost sheep without a shepherd (vv. 36).”
At This Point…
Jesus directs His disciples to the position they should take. To pray. Jesus instructed His disciples to pray that God would send more workers. There are plenty who stand in need, but no one to go to them. Like the Pharisees, we want to keep our distance. But, Jesus calls us to GO! We need to begin in prayer. “Lord, send the right workers – so others know You and the power You hold!”
Gracefully Overcoming 2017 Blog 