Deepertruth: Stand In The Gap With Us and the Apostle Saint Matthew

Stand In The Gap With Us and the Apostle Saint Matthew 9/21/2023

Matthew, Apostle of Jesus Christ whose parents named means, "Gift of Yahweh" who for the longest time would not be recognized as such.

Being a Jew, Matthew worked as a tax collector for the Roman rulers which set him in great distaste of the Jewish population.

Tax collectors were known to be deceitful and even violent.

A tax collector was seen as a traitor against their own people. Look at what Jesus says in regard to tax collectors:

"For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?" Matthew 5:46

"If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector". Matthew 18:17

"The Pharisee stood and was praying this to himself: 'God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector." Luke 18:11

You can get the picture that tax collectors were seen as great sinners. St. John the Baptist offers this advice to the tax collectors coming to him for baptism, "Tax collectors also came to be baptized, and said to him, "Teacher, what shall we do?" And he said to them, "Collect no more than is appointed you." Luke 3:12-13

Jesus was not afraid to associate with prostitutes and tax collectors, whom he regarded as ones who needed a physician, "Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him." Luke 15:1

Responding to criticism by the religious leaders, Jesus states, "It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick. "But go and learn what this means: 'I DESIRE COMPASSION, AND NOT SACRIFICE,' for I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners."