Posted on 05/21/2026 9:54:42 PM PDT by metmom
The twelve apostles included "Matthew the tax-gatherer" (Matt. 10:3). God can use you despite your sinful past.
I remember reading a notice in a local newspaper announcing the opening of a new evangelical church in our community. It gave the date and time of the first services, then added, "our special guest star will be . . ." and named a popular Christian celebrity. In its attempt to appeal to unbelievers or simply draw a large crowd, the church today commonly uses that kind of approach.
Jesus, however, used a different approach. None of His disciples were famous at all. In fact, rather than drawing a favorable crowd, some of them might have repelled or even incited anger and hatred among His Jewish audience. Matthew was such a man because he was a despised tax-gatherer—one of many Jewish men employed by Rome to collect taxes from his own people. As such he was regarded as a traitor by his own countrymen.
The Roman tax system allowed tax collectors to keep anything they collected in excess of what was owed to Rome. That encouraged bribes, extortion, and other abuses.
To compound the issue, Matthew was among those who had the prerogative of taxing almost anything they wanted to tax—roads, bridges, harbors, axles, donkeys, packages, letters, imports, exports, merchandise, and so on. Such men could accumulate enormous wealth for themselves. You might remember another tax-gatherer named Zaccheus, who is described in Luke 19:2 as a wealthy man. His salvation was evidenced by his offer to repay fourfold to those he had defrauded (v. 8).
Some people think God can't use them because they're not famous or because of their past sins. But God has used Matthew, Zaccheus, and millions of others like them. Concentrate on your present purity and let God bless your ministry as He sees fit.
Suggestions for Prayer
-Thank God that he has made you a new person in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17). Minister in light of that reality!
For Further Study
-Read Luke 19:1-10.
-Where was Zaccheus when Jesus first spoke to him?
-What was the reaction of the crowd when Jesus went to Zaccheus's house?
-What prompted Jesus to say that salvation had come to Zaccheus?
Studying God’s Word ping
My Ministry is FReerepublic.
Just a Voice in the Wilderness.
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Make His Paths Straight!
Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me everything I ever did.”
One thing puzzles me: Jesus said to “render unto Caesar”, so why is it a sin to be the collector for Caesar?
You have to understand the tax collection system back then.
Rome decreed the total amount of money due from its territories. Then they left the collectors (like Matthew) to squeeze whatever they could from the populace. Tax collectors then submitted the tax to the Romans, and kept the rest. Whatever they overcollected was their pay--so they squeezed hard.
By any definition, it was theft. That's why tax collectors were rich and hated at the same time.
It may not have been but if he extorted more than was due, then that would be a sin.
And apparently, that was a very common practice among tax collectors.
and wireless providers.
No kidding...
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