The Publicans (Tax Collectors)

Hi! and good first day of the week to all of us; and it's just 95 days to go before Christmas, GUYS.  Our first-thing-first today:

THE GOOD NEWS  (21 September 2015)

"As JESUS moved on from there, HE saw a man named Matthew at his seat in the custom-house, and HE said to him, 'Follow me.'  And Matthew got up and followed HIM.  Now it happened, while JESUS  was at table in Matthew's house, many tax collectors and other sinners joined JESUS and HIS disciples.  When the Pharisees saw this they said to HIS disciples, 'Why is it that your master eats with those sinners and tax collectors?'

 

 

 

 

When JESUS heard this HE said, 'Healthy people do not need a doctor, but sick people do.  Go and find out what this means:  What I want is mercy, not sacrifice.  I did not come to call the righteous but sinners'." - Matthew 9:9-13

 

 

(To enter the family of GOD, we must change some of our values.  This conversion is not as conspicuous as participation in devotional practices but is much more valuable.  First, we must liberate ourselves from prejudices by which we classify people.  Let us stop dividing people into good or bad; those we can greet and those we cannot; those we can love and help and those we cannot.  Let us learn that GOD does not hate the rich or the uneducated, those on the left or those on the right, for GOD's merciful plan sees to the salvation of all.

 

Levi is probably the apostle Matthew. In this case, like Simon, named Peter by JESUS, Levi would have been given the name of Matthew, in Hebrew, Mattai means gift of GOD.)