Calling of Matthew Devotional
Devotional
What if I told you that following Jesus is much more than a bunch of rules and regulations? We are reminded time and time again in scripture that our faith is not a list of rules, but a relationship with the Lord. In this teaching we learn Matthew’s origin story and meet the Pharisees at a lively dinner party.
9 As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth. “Follow me,” he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him. 10 While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples. 11 When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” 12 On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 13 But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
MATTHEW 9:9-13
Questions:
- What do you learn about the ministry of Jesus from this passage?
- How do you think Matthew might have felt when Jesus said “Follow me” to him?
- How do you think Matthew might have felt when Jesus said “Follow me” to him?
- “...On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick..” What does this statement tell you about Jesus? Why?
- “If we fail to see our flaws, we will always find ourselves outside the room where Jesus sits to save.” What are your thoughts or reactions to this quote?
- In what way(s) would you say you are flawed or sick? Explain.
Practice The Way of Jesus:
Philippians 2:8 tells us that Jesus humbled himself by becoming like man and subjecting himself to death so that we might be saved. Being His disciple requires us to imitate that humility in our lives today. This week, instead of asking: "am I following the rules?" Simply ask: "am I following Jesus?"