On Calling
Of all the conversations I have had with young people over the years about career options, one option has never been discussed: tax collector. In over 30 years of working with my own children and students at every level of schooling, not once has someone approached me with the question: “What do I need to do to be a tax collector?” Nor have I ever asked a student, “Have you considered working for the IRS?”
Don’t get me wrong, I am not hating on tax collectors! I am sure there are many persons of integrity and upstanding character who make a decent living working with the tax agency. However, it just does not seem to come to mind when thinking about one’s calling. Who wants to be called to do the tax collector thing?!
With that in mind, I wonder how Matthew ended up working as a tax collector. What’s more I wonder how Jesus ended up picking Matthew out of all the tax collectors to be in the starting line up for the Kingdom of God team. What’s more, everyone around Jesus seemed to be surprised that He not only picked him for the team but also was chilling at Matthew’s crib…
While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” (Matthew 9:10-11).
The disciples were actually kind of caught out there…I can imagine some of them being like: “Hmm, never thought of it like that…tax collectors…sinners…what in the world is Jesus thinking…glad it’s not me…all I ever did was catch fish…i don’t mean no disrespect…I’m just saying…” And while they were trying to justify themselves, Jesus jumped in.
On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” (Matthew 9:12-13).
Getting the Call
So Jesus set up a kind of paradox with that last bit about “…I have not come to call the righteous but sinners.” Most folks think you have to be righteous to be eligible for the Kingdom Team. But Jesus says just the opposite…it’s sinners who get the call. Some people may have gotten the call and thought it was because they were righteous. Once again, Jesus says…it’s sinners who get the call. This last group – the think-they-got-the-call-because-they-are-righteous folk – that’s probably who Jesus was referring to when He said, “Many are called but few are chosen.” They are the many, not the few.
My last thought is this: I got the call. What does that say about me? Have you gotten the call? (I already know the answer.) What does that say about you? Here’s what I know – It says that you are greatly loved. “You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:6-8).
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