The Feast of St Matthew | Wednesday 21 September 2022

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Today is Wednesday 21st of September, the Feast of St Matthew.

As Luke Parker sings, ‘Chase The World’, take a moment to become aware of God’s presence around you now… it might even be in something unexpected…

Now I've found a love so pure

You've made me beautiful

You've made me yours

Now I've heard a voice so sweet

You call me beautiful

You call me yours

And all this time you've been at my door

Some will try to chase the world

Some will find they lose it all

But I will lose my life to find

To sweet Jesus I belong

It's you I'm living for

Now I know you're gently leading me

And you call me beautiful

You call me yours

And all this time you've been at my door

Some will try to chase the world

Some will find they lose it all

But I will lose my life to find

To sweet Jesus I belong

Sweet Jesus I adore

It's you I'm living for

It's you I'm living for

And I've chased this

For many years before

I have craved this love from a thousand different shores

I have found your love

The purest love of all

I have found your love

In freedom I belong

Some will try to chase the world

Some will find but lose it all

But I would lose my life to find

To sweet Jesus I belong

Sweet Jesus I adore

It's you I'm living for

It's you I'm living for

It's you I'm living for

Today’s reading is from the Gospel of Matthew.

Matthew 9:9-13

As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth; and he said to him, "Follow me." And he got up and followed him.

And as he sat at dinner in the house, many tax collectors and sinners came and were sitting with him and his disciples.

When the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?"

But when he heard this, he said, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.

Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have come to call not the righteous but sinners."

Matthew was a tax collector. Tax collectors were despised. They were outcasts, yet Jesus invited one of them into his inner circle. What does this tell you about his attitude to people?

Matthew doesn’t hesitate. What courage, to drop everything, just like that, and start again! Is there anything in your life you would like to make a fresh start with, just like that?

Listen again, and this time try to picture the dinner with Jesus and the tax-collectors and the sinners, and outside, the Pharisees with their noses turned right up.

Jesus compares himself to a physician – to a doctor – here, come to bring health and healing to sinners. Imagine yourself sitting or standing before him now, and ask him for the health and healing that you need.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.