Message
2025 Matthew’s Gospel June 15, 2025
FOLLOW ME!
Matthew 9:9-13
Key Verse 9:9
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.
Have you ever read What’s So Amazing About Grace by Philip Yancey? If you haven’t yet, I highly recommend reading it. The book contains deeply moving stories. I’d like to briefly share one of them with you—“Babette’s Feast.” “Babette’s Feast” is a story by Danish writer Karen Blixen. It takes place in a small village of an austere Lutheran sect. They refused worldly pleasures. All wore black. They ate only boiled fish and a simple porridge made from boiling bread in water. One night, a woman named Babette came to the village as a refugee from the French civil war. She had lost her husband and son. She began to work as a maid in the village. She fed the poor people of the town and took over all housekeeping chores. Over time, everyone in the village liked her. Twelve years later, Babette received a letter that she had won the lottery—10,000 francs. It was a large sum of money. Everyone assumed she would now return to France. But instead, Babette asked for permission to host a feast for the village. The austere villagers were concerned about her request, but they agreed to it. Babette used her lottery winnings to buy ingredients: beef, chicken, seafood of every kind, fresh vegetables, and the finest wines and champagne. On the day of the feast, the villagers were amazed by the beautiful and delicious food—something they had never experienced in their lives. At first, some of them felt uncomfortable because of their religious asceticism. But once they began to eat, they became filled with joy. They drank wine and champagne, laughed, had deep conversations, and shared warm fellowship. One of them even shouted, “Hallelujah!” It turns out, Babette had once been a renowned chef in Paris. The villagers thanked her and assumed she would now return to France. But Babette told them she had spent all of her lottery winnings on the feast. She said she would stay in the village and continue living as a maid, just as before. Babette’s feast is not simply a story of a fine meal but a parable of grace: a gift that costs everything for the giver and nothing for the recipient. Because Jesus gave his life for us, we have received new life by his grace.
Today’s passage is about the love, grace, and mercy of Jesus in calling Matthew to be his disciple. Let’s read verse 9 together: “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.” Jesus saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth. At that time, the Roman Empire imposed many different kinds of taxes on the people in its colonies. One of them was the poll tax, which every Jewish man had to pay. There was also the land tax, which required landowners to give 10 to 20 percent of their harvest. Customs duties were indirect taxes placed on trade, travel, and business activities. There was also an income tax, which applied mostly to merchants and people in certain professions, based on how much they earned. Matthew was collecting taxes by the Lake of Galilee.
We don’t like paying taxes. Since January 5, 2025, New York City has been charging a congestion fee for vehicles entering south of 60th Street in Manhattan. Most New Yorkers aren’t happy about paying this tax. All workers have to pay income tax, and anyone who owns a home has to pay property tax. New York State is one of the states that collects the most taxes. That’s why some people move to other states like Florida or Texas, where taxes are much lower.
The Roman Empire didn’t collect taxes directly. Instead, it used an indirect system by selling what’s called “tax farming rights.” Those who bought tax farming rights were usually wealthy businessmen or elites from Rome. They were allowed to collect more than the fixed amount that Rome required from each region, and they kept the extra as their profit. Since it was difficult for them to collect taxes in every region, they hired local tax collectors. These tax collectors were paid a commission based on the amount they collected. The more they collected, the more they earned. In general, their income was dozens or even hundreds of times more than what an average laborer would earn.
Back then, most Jewish people struggled just to survive day to day. On top of that, having to pay multiple kinds of taxes to the Roman Empire was a heavy burden for them. Because of this, tax collectors who worked for Rome were seen as traitors. Especially those who collected far more than what was officially required were viewed as immoral people who took advantage of the poor just to make a profit. As a result, tax collectors were labeled as publicly known sinners in Jewish society. Matthew was one of them.
So then, why did Matthew choose to be a tax collector? The Bible doesn’t tell us directly. But there was really only one reason someone would become a tax collector: to make a lot of money. Tax collectors were among the highest-paid in Israel. They could easily buy a Cybertruck. After working hard for a few years, they could buy a luxury house in the wealthiest area of Capernaum—with a swimming pool and a private movie theater. After about ten years, they could retire and live a comfortable life during the rest of their lives. So, they endured the hatred and judgment from their fellow Jews. They hardened their hearts, ignoring words like morality, conscience, faith, and loyalty to their people—and focused on collecting as much tax as possible. Matthew was not different.
But what was life really like for a tax collector? We, human beings, are created to pursue truth, goodness, justice, and beauty. We long to discover the true meaning and purpose of our lives—and to live in line with that purpose. We want to find satisfaction in the work we do. We’re not created to live in isolation. We’re created for relationships—for forming families and communities, for giving and receiving love, and for seeking happiness together. We are created in the image of God. And as His image-bearers, we find true joy in worshiping, honoring, and serving God. When we obey God’s Word and love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength—and love our neighbor as ourselves—that’s when we discover the true meaning of life and experience happiness.
Matthew, who was living a life that went against God’s purpose, was never truly happy. He may have been able to make money through his job, but he couldn’t find meaning in it. Because of his selfish heart, he couldn’t love anyone. He couldn’t get married, didn’t have a family, and had no true friends. Even though he lived in a large house, he was all alone—and the silence and loneliness were unbearable. More than anything, being labeled a sinner by others made him feel as though even God had abandoned him. He was tormented by guilt, believing he had been rejected not only by people, but by God Himself. In that dark place, he may have condemned himself again and again, thinking he was worthless in this world—perhaps even to the point of attempting to end his own life more than once.
Jesus saw the pain Matthew was going through—the pain no one else could see. Jesus saw the silent cries of a man who was suffering alone. He saw the tears Matthew shed in secret, the sorrow buried deep in his heart. He saw the inner struggle of a man who had lost his way and was wandering without direction. When Jesus saw Matthew, He saw everything—his past, his brokenness, his guilt, and his longing for salvation. In the same way, Jesus sees us. He sees everything about us. Nothing is hidden from His eyes—our pain, our fears, our regrets, our sincere desires. Then Jesus spoke to Matthew: “Follow me.” What does it mean?
First, “Follow me” is a command from Jesus to change the direction of our life. Matthew had lived a life chasing after money. But now, Jesus commands him to stop following money and start following Him. Yes, we all need money—but money is just a means, not the purpose. The purpose of our life should never be something that disappears like money does. The purpose of our life must be the eternal God—Jesus. What is the purpose of your life? If your answer isn’t Jesus, I encourage you to think seriously about it. I pray that today, you hear the voice of Jesus saying, “Follow me,” and that you turn your life’s purpose and direction toward Him—starting right now.
Second, “Follow me” is an invitation to become a disciple of Jesus. Jesus was calling Matthew to walk with Him, to live closely with Him, to learn everything from Him, and to become like Him. What an incredible blessing it is to see Jesus up close and learn from Him day by day. To enter deeper into His love, sacrifice, service, humility, and power is truly amazing. As we follow Jesus, our character and our lives begin to change. And our lives become powerful and fruitful for the glory of God. Jesus is also inviting us to become His disciples. He is saying to you and to me: “Follow me.”
Third, “Follow me” is a promise from Jesus that He will take responsibility for our lives when we follow Him. Jesus is the almighty God. That means He has the power and authority to take care of His disciples. He promises to help His disciples bear the abundant fruit of the Holy Spirit. He strengthens His disciples so that they can serve God powerfully. So, when we choose to follow Jesus, we can trust in His power that makes our lives fruitful.
How did Matthew respond to Jesus’ words? “Matthew got up and followed him.” What a simple sentence—but how powerful it is. Matthew heard Jesus’ invitation and didn’t hesitate for a moment. He didn’t wrestle with doubts. Even though following Jesus meant abandoning his job as a tax collector—and possibly choosing a life of poverty—he didn’t struggle with the decision. As a disciple, he would have to deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Jesus daily. But still, he didn’t hold back. He immediately got up—right then and there—and followed Jesus. What an amazing act of commitment. How could Matthew make that decision? It was because he fully trusted Jesus. He felt Jesus’ love for him. He believed that Jesus could transform his life and lead him into true happiness. That’s why he was able to follow Him without delay. Are you ready to follow Jesus immediately—just like Matthew did?
This is how Matthew’s life was transformed. Everyone had pointed fingers at him, calling him a sinner. But Jesus called him to be His disciple—and through that call, Matthew began a new life in Christ. His new life was beautifully shown when he invited Jesus to his home for dinner. The man who had once lived for himself was now living to give and to serve others. Jesus accepted his invitation and came to his house. The holy Son of God entered the home of a man who had been publicly labeled a sinner. What an incredible moment that was! Jesus came with His disciples. And many other tax collectors and sinners also came in response to Matthew’s invitation. The house that had once felt so empty was now filled with guests. Just the night before, Matthew had sat alone eating a Subway sandwich, overwhelmed by loneliness. But that evening, surrounded by so many people, his heart was filled with joy and happiness. He quietly wiped away tears.
But there were some unwelcome guests at the dinner. The Pharisees had shown up. They didn’t come to celebrate—they came to find fault and accuse Jesus. They were deeply offended that Jesus was eating with sinners. In their eyes, they were the righteous ones. So they made sure to stay far away from anyone they considered sinful. The idea of sitting down and sharing a meal with tax collectors and sinners was unthinkable to them. They believed that associating with such people would make them spiritually unclean. So they turned to Jesus’ disciples and asked, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
Jesus heard what they said and responded. Let’s read verses 12-13 together:
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.” What Jesus said was a simple truth. When we’re sick, we go to the doctor. But when we’re not sick, we don’t need one. So what did Jesus mean by this? In this illustration, Jesus refers to sinners as “the sick,” and to Himself as the doctor. Now think about how a doctor sees patients. If you go to a doctor because you’re sick, do they yell at you or judge you? Do they say, “What a terrible person you are for being sick”? Of course not. If a doctor ever did, we’d never go back to him. A good doctor encourages their patients and gives them hope. They say, “You’re going to get better. Don’t give up.” That’s how Jesus viewed sinners. He saw them as people who were spiritually sick—but people who could be made well. And that perspective is so important. If we look at sinners through the eyes of the Pharisees, we’ll see them as hopeless and just condemn them. But if we look at them the way Jesus did—as patients in need of healing—then we’ll believe that any sinner can be forgiven and restored into a healthy person.
So Jesus said to the Pharisees, “But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” Jesus wanted the Pharisees to have mercy toward sinners. Even though they followed the Law and practiced their religion, they didn’t have mercy—and because of that, they couldn’t please God. God doesn’t want us to become legalistic or ritual like the Pharisees. He wants us to have mercy—mercy that loves and embraces sinners. That’s also the very reason Jesus came into this world. He didn’t come to call the righteous, but sinners. But is there anyone who is righteous in this world? The apostle Paul makes it very clear in Romans: “There is no one righteous, not even one” (Romans 3:11). We all are sinners and need the forgiveness of Jesus. Every one of us deserved judgment and condemnation because of our sins. But because of Jesus’ mercy, we have been forgiven. We have been saved. So we should learn the heart of Jesus. We should have mercy in our hearts. Look at the person sitting next to you. They are now wonderful people of faith, but in the past, they were once terrible sinners. So who among us can dare to judge others? Just as we were healed from our spiritual sickness and credited as righteous by the grace of Jesus, everyone can be healed and righteous if they repent and accept Jesus. Therefore, let us see others through the eyes of Jesus’ mercy, and let us show His love to them in action.
How did Matthew’s life change after he heard the voice of Jesus and chose to follow Him? Levi, the tax collector who was once judged and condemned by others, became Saint Matthew. The name Matthew means “gift of God.” He became a great gift from God to the world. He became a great servant of the Lord, preaching the gospel of Jesus and leading many people to Christ. He became the author of the Gospel of Matthew—someone honored and respected by believers throughout history. When he made the decision to follow Jesus, his life began to bear abundant fruit. And Jesus desires the same for us. He wants us to bear much fruit as we follow Him. “Follow me.” I pray that we would hear this voice of Jesus and live as His true disciples. Amen.