HOMILY FOR 10th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME--A

 IN THE GOSPEL TODAY WE HEAR OF MATTHEW’S CALL TO BE A DISCIPLE OF JESUS.  THIS IS AN UNUSUAL CHOICE THAT JESUS MADE.  MATTHEW WAS A TAX COLLECTOR, A GROUP OF PEOPLE WHO WERE UNIVERSALLY DESPISED BY THE JEWS FOR A LOT OF REASONS.

FIRST, THEY WORKED FOR THE ROMANS, THE CONQUERORS AND OCCUPIERS.  THE JEWS WERE FANATICAL PATRIOTS AND HATED ANYONE OF THEIR NUMBER WHO ASSISTED THE ROMANS.  IN SHORT, THE TAX COLLECTORS OF THAT DAY WERE WHAT WERE CALLED COLLABORATORS IN WORLD WAR II. 

COLLABORATORS WERE PEOPLE IN FRANCE WHO ASSISTED AND WENT ALONG WITH THE NAZI GOVERNMENT OF FRANCE DURING THAT WAR.  THEY WERE UNIVERSALLY DESPISED AND OFTEN HUMILIATED, BEATEN OR KILLED BY THE LOYAL FRENCH.  THE JEWS FELT THE SAME WAY ABOUT TAX COLLECTORS COLLABORATING WITH THE ROMAN GOVERNMENT.

SECOND, THEY USUALLY LINED THEIR OWN POCKETS AT THE EXPENSE OF THEIR FELLOW CITIZENS.  THERE WERE TAXES ON JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING BACK THEN: IMPORT AND EXPORT TAXES, A TAX TO TRAVEL ON CERTAIN ROADS, ON PACK ANIMALS, ON CARTS BY THE NUMBER OF WHEELS AND AXLES, SALES TAXES, AND SO ON.  THE POINT IS THE AVERAGE PERSON DIDN’T KNOW THE IN’S AND OUT’S OF THE ROMAN TAX CODES AND THERE WERE NO CPA’S BACK THEN TO HELP.  THUS THE TAX COLLECTORS INVARIABLY TACKED ON AN EXTRA AMOUNT TO THE TAX THAT WOULD GO TO LINE THEIR OWN POCKETS.  IT WOULD BE SOMEWHAT LIKE IF TODAY’S IRS AGENTS WORKED ON COMMISSION.

THIRD, THE JEWS HATED THE TAX COLLECTORS FOR A RELIGIOUS REASON.  PAYING TAXES TO A MORTAL RULER LIKE THE ROMAN EMPEROR WAS CONSIDERED AN AFFRONT TO GOD WHO IS THE TRUE RULER OF THE WORLD.

BECAUSE OF ALL THAT, TAX COLLECTORS WERE CONSIDERED UNCLEAN AND BARRED FROM ATTENDING RELIGIOUS SERVICES IN THE TEMPLE OR SYNAGOGUE.

JESUS KNEW ALL OF THAT.  YET HE CALLED MATTHEW TO BE HIS DISCIPLE.  WHY?

THE ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION HAS SOME LESSONS FOR US.  LOOKING AT MATTHEW, JESUS KNEW EXACTLY WHAT HE WAS—A TAX COLLECTOR WHO EXTORTED MONEY FROM HIS FELLOW CITIZENS.  WHILE JESUS KNEW WHAT HE WAS, JESUS ALSO AND MORE IMPORTANTLY KNEW HIM AS HE COULD BECOME IF HE JUST ACCEPTED THE CALL TO DISCIPLESHIP.

THE SAME THING IS TRUE FOR US.  NO MATTER WHAT WE’VE BEEN IN THE PAST OR ARE RIGHT NOW IN THE PRESENT, JESUS SEES US AS WE COULD BECOME AND HE CALLS US TO THAT.  HE KNOWS WE’VE MADE MISTAKES IN THE PAST AND HAVE HAD SOME ROUGH TIMES IN OUR LIVES.  BLUNTLY, HE KNOWS WE’RE SINNERS.  BUT HE ALSO KNOWS WHAT WE CAN BECOME IF WE ACCEPT THAT CALL.

SO ON THOSE DAYS WHEN WE FEEL UNWORTHY OF GOD’S LOVE, WHEN WE FEEL LIKE GIVING UP BECAUSE OF ALL OUR PAST MISTAKES, WHEN WE FOCUS ON OUR SINS AND FAULTS, WE NEED TO REMEMBER THAT JESUS LOOKS AT US AS WE CAN BECOME.  HE KNOWS US AS WE ARE, AS SINNERS, BUT HE SEES US AS WE COULD BE, AS SAINTS.

WHAT MATTHEW DID IS WHAT WE ALL HAVE TO DO.  MATTHEW HIMSELF KNEW HE WAS A SINNER, A HATED TAX COLLECTOR.  HE COULD HAVE JUST CONTINUED SITTING AT HIS CUSTOMS POST AND BEAT HIMSELF UP ABOUT HOW MUCH A SINNER HE WAS.  BUT, WHEN JESUS TOLD MATTHEW TO FOLLOW HIM, MATTHEW DID JUST THAT.  HE LEFT HIS SEAT AT THE TABLE AND BECAME ONE OF THE TWELVE.

WHAT MATTHEW DID IS WHAT WE ALL HAVE TO DO.  JUST LIKE MATTHEW, WE HAVE TO REALIZE WHAT WE ARE.  BUT JUST LIKE MATTHEW WE ALSO HAVE TO REALIZE THAT, IF WE DO ANSWER THAT CALL AND FOLLOW JESUS, WITH GOD’S HELP WE CAN BECOME SAINTS.

 IT’S IRONIC BUT WITHOUT A SENSE OF SIN, WE WOULD SEE NO REASON TO ANSWER GOD’S CALL.  AS THE GOSPEL PUTS IT SO WELL, JESUS CAME TO CALL THOSE WHO ARE SINNERS AND WHO REALIZE IT, NOT THOSE WHO MISTAKENLY THINK THEY’RE HOLY ENOUGH ALREADY.

THOSE WHO THINK THEY’RE HOLY ENOUGH ALREADY ARE PLAYING WITH FIRE.  IT’S THE DISEASES WE DON’T KNOW WE HAVE THAT HAVE THE BEST CHANCE OF KILLING US.  IF WE RECOGNIZE THE DISEASE, WE CAN GO TO THE DOCTOR FOR TREATMENT.  IF WE RECOGNIZE WE’RE SINNERS, JESUS CAN HELP.  IF WE DON’T WAKE UP TO THAT FACT, WE ARE, AS I SAID BEFORE, PLAYING WITH FIRE.

TAKE A CURE FROM THE ARMY RECRUITING AD: BE ALL YOU CAN BE: ANSWER JESUS’ CALL.