Lesson 3146

 (Lesson 3146)(08-12-2020) Matthew 9:9-13

    “And as Jesus passed forth from thence, he saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he saith unto him, Follow me. And he arose, and followed him. And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples. And when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto his disciples, Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners? But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick. But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”

    In today’s quote, Jesus chose Matthew to be one of His apostles. He also related another powerful lesson to the Pharisees when He said, “I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” 

    Sadly, today, the preaching and teaching of the doctrine of Jesus Christ is, for the most part, limited to those who faithfully assemble in a church building somewhere. That, although also necessary to fulfill the duty of the children of God, flies directly into the face of what Jesus intended for His disciples (us) to do. That fact is evidenced by what Jesus told the Pharisees. We are to take the divine message of God’s amazing, saving grace into every corner of the world. If we don’t teach in the places where the lost are, most will never be reached with the gospel. What better place is there to teach God’s word than among the lost, wherever they are.~