For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?

The Call of Matthew

As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax-collection station, 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 Jesus and his disciples.

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

Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus and Thaddaeus;

the Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.”

Jesus and the Temple Tax

When they reached Capernaum, the collectors of the temple tax came to Peter and said, “Does your teacher not pay the temple tax?”

If that person refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church, and if the offender refuses to listen even to the church, let such a one be to you as a gentile and a tax collector.

Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are going into the kingdom of God ahead of you.

For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him, and even after you saw it you did not change your minds and believe him.

The Question about Paying Taxes

Then the Pharisees went and plotted to entrap him in what he said.

Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”

Show me the coin used for the tax.” And they brought him a denarius.

As he was walking along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax-collection station, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he got up and followed him.

And as he sat at dinner in Levi’s house, many tax collectors and sinners were also sitting with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many who followed him.

When the scribes of the Pharisees saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, they said to his disciples, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?”

The Question about Paying Taxes

Then they sent to him some Pharisees and some Herodians to trap him in what he said.

And they came and said to him, “Teacher, we know that you are sincere and show deference to no one, for you do not regard people with partiality but teach the way of God in accordance with truth. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not?

Even tax collectors came to be baptized, and they asked him, “Teacher, what should we do?”

Jesus Calls Levi

After this he went out and saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at the tax-collection station, and he said to him, “Follow me.”

Then Levi gave a great banquet for him in his house, and there was a large crowd of tax collectors and others reclining at the table with them.

The Pharisees and their scribes were complaining to his disciples, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?”

(And all the people who heard this, including the tax collectors, acknowledged the justice of God, having been baptized with John’s baptism.

the Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’

The Parable of the Lost Sheep

Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to him.