Matthew 9:9–13
“Did you ever think about preaching from the pulpit?”
Pastor Amy asked me that question on a day when I felt not qualified for holy work. I remember blinking at her, certain she must have meant someone else—someone more polished, more prepared, someone with a Bible degree. I could list a dozen reasons why I wasn’t the right person. But God has a way of calling us long before we feel ready, long before we feel welcome, long before we feel like we belong.
Which brings me to Matthew.
When Jesus walked up to Matthew’s tax booth in Matthew 9:9–13, He wasn’t approaching a man with a spotless spiritual résumé. Matthew wasn’t respected or admired. He wasn’t even allowed to worship in the synagogue. Rome had taken much from him—his reputation, his community, his place in his own family. And as a tax collector, he had taken much from others in return.
Matthew was, by every measure, not qualified.
And yet Jesus said, “Follow me.”
Just that. No prerequisites. No proof of worthiness. And Matthew got up.
Those three words—Matthew got up—carry the weight of a whole life turning. The call of Jesus didn’t just interrupt Matthew’s day; it interrupted his identity. Something in Jesus’ presence reached a place in Matthew that had long been numb.
Was he tired of being an outsider?
Was his financial security any comfort against the disdain he felt?
Did he long for something more meaningful?
Maybe. But the truth may be simpler:
Jesus saw Matthew.
He saw him—and He called him by name.
Matthew was used to being invisible in all the ways that hurt. To Rome, he was a replaceable cog. To his own people, he was a traitor. He didn’t fit anywhere. He didn’t matter.
No one saw him.
But Jesus did.
Jesus walked right up to the booth where Matthew sat—isolated, tolerated, but never embraced—and offered him dignity, belonging, and purpose. He didn’t ask Matthew to fix his life first. He simply said, “Follow me.”
And Matthew rose from the place where he had spent years taking from others and stepped into a life where he would begin giving—his story, his home, his heart, his future. The man no one saw became the man God used to help the world see Jesus.
Takeaway
Jesus still calls us this way—personally, purposefully, by name. We may feel unqualified, too old, too young, too broken, too inexperienced. But the call of Jesus has never depended on our qualifications. It depends on His love and His presence.
If Jesus calls you to something, He will provide what you need. Strength for the task. Courage for the moment. Grace for the gaps.
The question is simple:
Will you, like Matthew, respond immediately?
Closing Prayer
Lord Jesus,
Thank You for seeing us fully and loving us completely. Give us courage to rise when You call,
faith to follow where You lead, and trust that You will provide all we need.
Make us disciples who give freely and walk closely with You.
Amen.
