Lent Day 13: Matthew

Pause

Before you open your Bible today, spend a few minutes thanking God for how you have seen Him at work in your life. Be specific.

Read & Journal

Read Luke 5:27-32. Meditate on what you’ve read by journaling your answers to the following questions:

• What does this interaction with Matthew teach you about Jesus’ character?

• Reread verses 31-32. What do these verses reveal about Jesus’ mission and purpose?

• What does the interaction with the Pharisees and religious leaders in these verses teach you about Jesus? About His mission and purpose?

• How do you see Jesus entering into human brokenness in this passage?

• The Pharisees and religious leaders saw themselves as better than the tax collectors and sinners Jesus hung out with. When have you seen this kind of thinking displayed in someone’s life? In your own life?

Ponder

As a tax collector, Levi/Matthew would have been despised. Tax collectors were widely known to be corrupt, adding a little money for themselves on top of the taxes they collected for the Roman authorities. To call Matthew as a disciple was to call a known scoundrel into fellowship. For Matthew, following Jesus meant giving up a lucrative job and material treasure for a spiritual treasure.

In ancient times, eating with someone was a sign of social acceptance. Pharisees refused to eat with tax collectors and others regarded as sinners because they believed that these interactions would defile them. The same would have been expected of Jesus as a rabbi—and He did just the opposite. When the Pharisees sneered and scoffed, Jesus pointed out their brokenness: self-righteousness. The tax collectors and sinners had come to Jesus knowing who exactly who they were and why they needed a Savior. The religious leaders came believing they could earn their way to God through following a bunch of rules and good works.

Whether we want to admit it or not, we’ve all stood before Jesus in our own self-righteousness, thinking we can manage our sin. But Jesus’ message here is clear: to experience healing from our sin, we must first acknowledge that we are sinners who need healing. Today, if you are trying to deal with a sin on your own or think you can earn God’s love or favor through good works and self-righteousness, Jesus offers an invitation to stop. Admit your need for Him and let Him heal you.