An Unlikely Candidate

“Later, Matthew invited Jesus and his disciples to his home as dinner guests, along with many tax collectors and other disreputable sinners.” Matthew 9:10 NLT

Tax collectors in New Testament times were the most despised and hated group of people. They were hated as a group in their work collecting taxes for Rome and also individually for lining their own pockets through extortion. It may seem a bit strange that Jesus would call Matthew, a tax collector, to follow Him and become one of His disciples. Jesus had a reputation to keep and asking Matthew to join Him in His ministry wouldn’t exactly fit that image. Even stranger would be the fact of Matthew giving up his lucrative business to follow Jesus. Matthew didn’t possess any moral qualities such as loving others or caring for the poor as he took advantage of them. Matthew most certainly was an unlikely candidate, but Jesus chose him.

The Bible says in Matthew’s gospel (yes, the unlikely candidate), “As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at his tax collector’s booth. ‘Follow me and be my disciple,’ Jesus said to him. So Matthew got up and followed him.” (Mt. 9:9 nlt) Matthew left behind his position as a tax collector with the possibility of never returning. An opening in such a profitable business would not open for long but filled rather quickly. Matthew was convinced he was not going back, nor did he have a desire to return. Jesus’ call of Matthew is another example of His miraculous power. Matthew’s heart had changed. Just as Jesus healed the paralyzed, the blind, and the deaf physically, He transformed Matthew’s heart.

A true change of heart results in actions being taken. Matthew didn’t wait in following Jesus and learning from Him. He went right to work in his new calling by inviting his former co-workers and others of the same mind to dinner with Jesus.  The change was real in Matthew going first to those closest to him and inviting them to meet the Lord and his new colleagues. Matthew’s conversion and new found zeal in righteousness would have caused bewilderment among those present, but it could not be denied.

The Lord is still in the conversion business. Changed hearts, changed minds, and changed lives are His specialty. You may think you are an unlikely candidate for the Lord to choose. You may feel you have failed Him too many times. You may not even have any interests in Jesus or spiritual things. But the Lord specializes in calling an unlikely candidate.

Read: Matthew 9:9-13 NLT – Jesus Calls Matthew – As Jesus was – Bible Gateway