When Jesus Calls Matthew
Matthew 9 shows us one of the simplest yet most transformative moments in all the Gospels. Jesus walks up to a tax collector’s booth, looks at Matthew, and speaks two life-changing words:
“Follow Me.”
No explanations. No qualifications. No clean-up-your-life-first requirements.
Just an invitation from the Son of God to a man society despised.
And Matthew, going against every cultural expectation, gets up and follows.
Jesus Meets Us Where We Are
This calling isn’t just dramatic on the surface, but spiritually, it’s seismic. It shows us a Jesus who meets people in the middle of their real lives. Matthew wasn’t in the synagogue or seeking spiritual answers. He was at work, like you and your neighbors are every day, doing a job that afforded him great wealth and inundated him with hatred.
Matthew wasn’t looking for Jesus.
Jesus was looking for Matthew.
And the same is true for you and me. Jesus finds us:
- in our workplaces
- in our grief
- in seasons of uncertainty
- in our spiritual hunger
- in the quiet moments we feel unseen
He calls us not because we have it together, but because He loves us right where we sit and leads us to where we’re meant to be.
A Table Full of Grace
Right after Matthew follows Jesus, he hosts a dinner, inviting other tax collectors and outcasts, to the shock and ire of the religious experts. The Pharisees felt scandalized and in uproar asked, “Why does your teacher eat with sinners?” (v. 11)
Jesus answered His critics with a bold mission statement:
Matthew 9:12-13 ESV
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.”
Matthew’s table becomes a picture of the Kingdom of God: a gathering of imperfect people experiencing perfect grace.
This is what the Church is meant to look like.
The Call Still Echoes Today
Matthew’s response challenges us:
- Jesus still calls unlikely people.
- He invites us to follow Him before we feel ready.
- He chooses mercy over religious perfection.
- He turns ordinary people into witnesses of grace.
His question remains the same:
“Will you follow Me?”
Reflection Question
Where are you sitting right now, emotionally, spiritually, or practically, and how might Jesus be calling you to rise from that place and trust Him?
Prayer
Lord Jesus, thank You for calling us in the midst of our everyday lives. Give us the courage to rise like Matthew—to trust You, follow You, and welcome others with the same mercy You’ve shown us. Shape our hearts to reflect Your compassion. In Your precious name, Amen.
Interested in starting Advent strong?
Checkout these pointers from fellow blogger Barb. She publishes Christian content faithfully on her site My Life In Our Father’s World. #ADVENT2025
Until my next post…
Be salty, stay lit.
Rainer Bantau —The Devotional Guy™
You can now find my articles in The Christian Grandfather Magazine.
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© 2025 Rainer Bantau | The Devotional Guy™ | All Rights Reserved
The Devotional Guy™ 
True, Barb. We must be ready and willing to follow Him when He calls. Thanks for reading this post and for sharing your thoughts. 🙏
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Yes, definitely. Thank you, Cindi, for sharing your thoughts.
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God can use anyone for His purposes. We just have to say, “Yes, Lord”!
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May we all find that courage to get up and follow, every day!
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