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14. Matthew.

Jesus walked past a tax collector's office. A man named Matthew, otherwise known as Levi, was sitting at the customs house and was a tax collector. This kind of man was much hated by the Jews, especially because they had a lot of dealings with the Gentiles, with the Romans, because of their business. But among all classes there are people who are skilful for the kingdom of God. Matthew was such a person, and Jesus despises no one; he knows how to find good people everywhere. He spoke to the tax collector with a friendly look and word: ‘Follow me!’ The publican was so pleased by the kind word. He left the tollhouse and followed Jesus. That same evening, Matthew invited Jesus to dinner. Other tax collectors, good acquaintances of Matthew, also sinners, as they were called, i.e. Gentiles, also came to the meal. The Pharisees took great offence at this. The Pharisees were a sect among the Jews and were very particular about certain external laws and customs and separated themselves from all people who were not like them, as if they would be defiled by associating with them. There were some pious and respectable people among them. But most of them thought it was piety to observe the customs and look holy. They were vicious, dangerous hypocrites full of pride and seeking condemnation. All hypocrites are dangerous people.

 So when these wicked Pharisees saw Jesus with the pious tax collector and other tax collectors with them, they reproached the Lord's disciples. ‘Why does your Master eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?’ But Jesus, when he heard it, gave them the just and beautiful answer: ‘Because the healthy have no need of the ministry, but the sick; because I have come to call sinners to repentance, not the righteous.’ On another occasion, the Pharisees saw that Jesus' disciples were eating and had not washed their hands beforehand, so they said to Jesus, ’Why don't your disciples wash their hands before they eat?’ Cleanliness and washing when necessary is a good thing and is especially appropriate for children. But for the Pharisees it was just a superstitious practice. They said: a person becomes unclean if he eats unclean food, and the food becomes unclean if you do not wash your hands first; otherwise it may or may not be necessary. But Jesus said to them: ‘The food that goes into a man cannot defile him. But the evil thoughts that are within and come out of the heart defile a man.’

Create in me, God, a clean heart!

There was also another sect among the Jews in the days of Jesus, the Sadducees. They were opposed to the Pharisees in almost everything. Although they honoured the Law of Moses and taught that only in virtue could one find rest and peace of heart, they despised the statutes and customs of the Pharisees. They also wanted to know nothing of the angels and claimed that everything ended after death; unhappy people! However, Jesus did not have as much to do with them as with the Pharisees. They did not cause him as many temptations as they did.