Gospel: Matthew
9:9-13
As Jesus
passed by, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the customs post. He said to
him, “Follow me.” And he got up and followed him. While he was at table in his
house, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat with Jesus and his
disciples. The Pharisees saw this and said to his disciples, “Why does your
teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” He heard this and said, “Those
who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do. Go and learn the meaning
of the words, I desire mercy, not sacrifice. I did not come to call the
righteous but sinners.”
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Reflection:
Do you
feel that Jesus is calling you to leave behind your sinfulness?
Aside
from Matthew whom Jesus called to follow Him we too are being called by Jesus
to follow Him. We may say that we are not worthy to follow Jesus but who
amongst us are worthy? No one for we are all sinful creatures of this world.
Matthew
was called by Jesus to follow Him for the precise reason that he was a sinner.
This is the character and mission of Jesus to call every sinner to follow Him.
But why is it that even if we know that we are called to repentance we still continue
to sin? We refuse to leave behind us our sinful ways.
This is
indeed very puzzling, why is it that many of us ignore Jesus call for us to
follow Him? Does this mean that we love this world more than we love Jesus? Does
this mean that Jesus is losing influence over us that is why we refuse to heed
his call to a life of renewal and repentance?
Why did
Matthew followed Jesus call? Perhaps somebody had shared to him the
magnificence of Jesus. Somebody had lived his faith in Jesus and Matthew heard
and saw it, that’s why it was not anymore difficult for Matthew to recognize
and follow Jesus.
The
challenge before us is to share and live our faith in Jesus to the many
Matthews (Sinners) of our time. They may not have heard yet anything about
Jesus that is why they keep on sinning until this very day.
Will you
share Jesus? – Marino J. Dasmarinas
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