Daily Devotional | Calling All Sinners

Every December, Christianity Today publishes its annual list of “Top Testimonies”—the most-read, most-shared conversion stories of the year. They are dramatic personal accounts of the gospel’s transforming power in the life of drug addicts, gang members, and the son of a Hindu priest. Matthew’s testimony in today’s passage would fit right in.

At the time, Jesus’ ministry was well under way. He had been teaching (Matthew 5–7) and healing (Matt. 8:1–17) and casting out demons (Matt. 8:28–34). And He had already called two sets of fishermen brothers—Peter and Andrew, James and John—to be His disciples.

Then He met Matthew. Matthew did not fit the mold. The most obvious reason was his occupation: tax collector. In that role, Matthew worked for the Roman government, extracting tax money from his Jewish neighbors and getting extra for himself. Such acts of extortion would have caused Matthew’s community, his own people, to hate him.

Matthew was likely familiar with Jesus before this encounter in Matthew 9. He had probably heard of Jesus’ miracles and His preaching. So, when Jesus approached him and said, “Follow me,” Matthew was ready to go. He immediately left behind his booth and the lucrative income that went with it, and he followed.

Then he brought Jesus to his home for a meal. He invited others— his closest companions—to come and meet Jesus, and perhaps experience the same shocking transformation as he did. The Pharisees saw this banquet and were appalled. How could this “teacher” keep such company? When Jesus heard their inquiry, He responded, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick...I have not come to call [kaleo] the righteous, but sinners” (vv. 12–13).