Matthew the Tax Collector^(A)

^27 (B)After these things He went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, ^(C)“Follow Me.” ²⁸ So he left all, rose up, and ^(D)followed Him.

^29 (E)Then Levi gave Him a great feast in his own house. And ^(F)there were a great number of tax collectors and others who sat down with them. ^30 [a]And their scribes and the Pharisees ^[b]complained against His disciples, saying, ^(G)“Why do You eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?”

³¹ Jesus answered and said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. ^32 (H)I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”

Glory to God for His Grace^(A)

¹² And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has ^(B)enabled me, ^(C)because He counted me faithful, ^(D)putting me into the ministry, ¹³ although ^(E)I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an ^[a]insolent man; but I obtained mercy because ^(F)I did it ignorantly in unbelief. ^14 (G)And the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant, ^(H)with faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. ^15 (I)This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that ^(J)Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. ¹⁶ However, for this reason I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show all longsuffering, as a pattern to those who are going to believe on Him for everlasting life.