Tuesday; September 29

If you go back to the New Testament, especially in the Gospels, you will find an interesting blending of terms.  The phrase “tax collectors and sinners” is used multiple times in Matthew, Mark and Luke.  Have you ever wondered why these terms (and those people) are conjoined?  The answer is probably related to a social perception of the day.  The tax collectors weren’t the professionals they are in modern society.  They were Jews who were considered turncoats because they collected taxes for the oppressive Roman (Gentile) government.  Additionally, there is an accusation that some of them may have actually over-collected what was owed by the citizens and pocketed the money.  As you might imagine, they didn’t have a good reputation among their kinsmen, especially those who held to a strict interpretation of the Law of Moses.  This background can help us understand why Jesus (who was known to hang out with this crowd) was criticized by some of His contemporaries.  Yet, as we have come to realize, this criticism was unjust – Jesus was just doing what He had come to earth to do.  During a meeting with Zaccheus (who was a rich chief tax collector) Luke notes, “And Jesus said to him, ‘Today salvation has come to this house, because he, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.’” (Luke 19:9-10).

When we see people we don’t feel meet the standard of righteousness, let’s think about the “tax collectors and sinners”.  Are they truly bad people or do they just have a less than a stellar reputation – not because of their actions but because of their affiliations?  Let’s also remember that Jesus said they need Him as much as anyone else.  Are we sharing Him with them?

Think About It!

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