Gospel: Matthew 9:9-13
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 live a new
life, a new life free of sinfulness?
Aside from Matthew whom Jesus called to follow Him we
too are being called by the Lord. 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 and to leave behind whatever that
makes us sin? Does this mean that we love this world more than we love Jesus?
Does this mean that Jesus is losing influence over us and the devil is slowly
but surely gaining control of our lives that is why we refuse to heed Jesus’
call to a life of renewal and repentance?
Why did Matthew follow Jesus call? Perhaps somebody
had shared to him the love and unfathomable mercy 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. Why not share the mercy and love of Jesus? Or if we cannot share Jesus let us live Jesus. – Marino J. Dasmarinas
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