Listen

When Jesus heard it, he said, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor, but sick people do. Go and learn what this means: I want mercy and not sacrifice. I didn’t come to call righteous people, but sinners.”

Matthew 9:12-13

Think

Most of Matthew 8 and the beginning of Matthew 9 are story after story of healing — one man with a skin disease, another paralyzed, a woman with a fever, and more. So Jesus has already been hard at work when he runs into Matthew, the tax collector. Matthew doesn’t seem to have any physical injuries or illness, but by showing him mercy, Jesus invites Matthew to change his ways, to follow Jesus’ example and offer the same compassion to others.

Jesus shows the Pharisees who are criticizing him that some people just need a little more help, and that that doesn’t mean God loves them any less. The reality is that we’ve all made mistakes somewhere along the way. And no matter where we are in life, we all have things to learn.

Jesus offers us the same mercy that he showed to Matthew. May that mercy help open our minds and heal our hearts, as we work to be more loving toward ourselves and each other.

Allison Wehrung

Pray

God of love, help me to recognize when I need some help, and to feel you encouraging me in asking for it.

When the people around me make mistakes, remind me that God is with them too.

Amen.

Go

We come to you, O loving Lord,
in our distress and pain,
in trust that through our nights and days,
your grace will heal, sustain.

Herman G. Stuempfle Jr. in “We Come to You for Healing, Lord” (2013)