NOTES for Mat 9:9-13

When Jesus called Matthew, he left everything without hesitation and followed the Lord. Apparently, there was something so powerful in the Savior’s call that the tax collector did not even need to ask any questions—he immediately understood what he had to do. The evangelist gives no hint that Matthew could have doubted whether the Lord was calling him.

For the Pharisees, sharing a meal with sinners was madness, as was inviting a tax collector to become a disciple. It was precisely this departure from their customary ideas of right and wrong that aroused indignation in their hearts.

There are moments in our lives when we clearly understand what God is calling us to do and recognize His voice addressed specifically to us. Yet we often begin to doubt, especially when He expects something that we ourselves did not anticipate.