Jesus Chooses Matthew^(A)

⁹ When Jesus was ·leaving [walking along], he saw a man named Matthew sitting in the tax collector’s booth [^Cprobably a tariff booth for taxing goods in transit]. Jesus said to him, “Follow me,” and he stood up and followed Jesus.

¹⁰ As Jesus was ·having dinner [^Lreclining; ^Caround a low table; the posture for a formal banquet or dinner party] at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ·ate [^Lreclined together] with Jesus and his ·followers [disciples]. ¹¹ When the Pharisees saw this, they asked Jesus’ ·followers [disciples], “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors [^Cdespised because they worked for the Roman rulers and were notorious for corruption and extortion] and sinners?”

¹² When Jesus heard them, he said, “It is not the healthy people who need a doctor, but the sick. ¹³ Go and learn what this means: ‘I ·want [desire; require; am pleased by] ·kindness [compassion; mercy] ·more than I want [^Lnot] animal sacrifices [Hos. 6:6].’ [^LFor] I did not come to ·invite [call] ·good people [the righteous; ^Cmeaning the “self-righteous” who feel no need to repent] but to invite [call] sinners [^Cthose who recognize their need to repent].”