Bible Reading
Matthew 9:9-13 As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him.
[26:00]And as Jesus reclined at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and his disciples. And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
[27:10]But when he heard it, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”
[27:17]Luke 5:27-32 After this he went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax booth. And he said to him, “Follow me.” And leaving everything, he rose and followed him. And Levi made him a great feast in his house, and there was a large company of tax collectors and others reclining at table with them. And the Pharisees and their scribes grumbled at his disciples, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” And Jesus answered them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.”
[27:05]Luke 19:1-10 He entered Jericho and was passing through. And behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus. He was a chief tax collector and was rich. And he was seeking to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was small in stature. So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was about to pass that way. And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.” So he hurried and came down and received him joyfully.
[38:17]And when they saw it, they all grumbled, “He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.” And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold.” And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
[38:25]Matthew 5:44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
[28:13]Observation questions
- What does Matthew do immediately after Jesus says, “Follow me,” and what does he do soon afterward in his home?
- What reasons made tax collectors especially hated by their neighbors, beyond simply having a bad reputation? [26:15]
- In Matthew 9 and Luke 5, what complaints do the Pharisees make about Jesus’ table fellowship, and how does Jesus answer them?
- What visible changes does Zacchaeus promise to make after Jesus comes to his house? [38:27]
Interpretation questions
- Jesus calls Matthew while he is still sitting at the tax booth. What does this show about the order of grace and repentance—does Jesus wait for sinners to clean up their lives before he comes near them? [25:48]
- Jesus says, “I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.” What might mercy look like when believers are tempted to decide that certain people are too sinful, too difficult, or too undeserving to welcome?
- Matthew’s fellow disciples included fishermen whose lives had been made harder by Roman taxes. How does Jesus’ command to love enemies become concrete when the “enemy” is now sitting at the same table as a fellow disciple? [27:30]
- Matthew leaves his tax booth, and Zacchaeus offers restitution to those he cheated. What do these responses show about the difference between merely adding religious activity to an old life and genuinely turning toward Jesus? [28:28]
Application questions
- Is there any part of life where someone may feel that they need to “get right with God” before coming honestly to Jesus or joining the life of the church? What would it look like to receive Christ’s grace in the middle of that mess rather than waiting until everything feels presentable? [25:20]
- Jesus meets sinners with mercy, but he also calls them to repentance. What old pattern, resentment, relationship, habit, or way of treating others may Jesus be asking each person to lay down? [29:23]
- The world often teaches people to rank lives according to politics, race, nationality, wealth, social standing, or some other category. Where might fear, contempt, or indifference be shaping the way someone sees another group of people? What would it mean to see those people as bearing God’s image? [31:03]
- Matthew made room at his table for people like himself to meet Jesus. Who are the people already in each person’s everyday life—neighbors, coworkers, relatives, classmates, or friends—who may need a real invitation into Christian community and grace? [38:01]
- Jesus’ love reached Eddie while violence and rage still ruled his heart, yet that love called him onto a new path. Where does someone need to believe that Christ’s love is strong enough to confront sin without giving up on the sinner? [35:39]
- Not every changed life has a dramatic story, but every disciple is called into ongoing transformation. What is one specific next step toward forgiveness, mercy, restitution, peace, or service that each person senses Jesus placing before them this week? [39:14]
