Matthew 9:9-13

Jesus calling Matthew to leave his life of being a tax collector, to be one his disciples, is a story of redemption. Tax collectors were despised by society for collaborating with the Roman government and having a reputation of greed, extortion, and corruption. Through Jesus’s invitation to follow him, Matthew's dignity and purpose/calling were redeemed. When Jesus was asked why he was eating with tax collectors and sinners, his answer would also shed light on who he had been sent to redeem; sinners like each and every one of us.