A Tax Collector

As we enter this week of devotions, it seemed appropriate to focus the week on a follower of Jesus who was a tax collector.

As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector's booth. "Follow me," he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him. (Matthew 9:9 NIV)

Many of us struggle with tax day.  I’ve spent many a year struggling with the April 15th deadline and working feverishly to get my taxes in before the deadline.  (This year I was blessed enough to get them done a month ago!)  There are forms to fill out, math problems to do, laws to interpret, and (most importantly) money to give.  That is, after all, what the entire process is about.  Tax day and tax collectors just leave a bad feeling in our minds.

"You have heard that it was said, 'Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.' But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you. "You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? (Matthew 5:38-46 NIV)

Even Jesus used tax collectors as the lowest of the low standards for righteousness.  You want to walk with God?  Don’t be a tax collector. Why?  Why were they seen so negatively back then?  Simple.  Tax collectors were traitors and thieves.

You see, the government of their day was not in power the way our government is today.  No one elected their officials.  There was no representation at all.  The Romans were in charge because they came in with a big army and took over.  When they would take over an area, they often left the governing structure of that area in place, but put a person in charge of it who was loyal to the Roman government. 

You have a king?  You can keep a king.  We will pick one who is loyal to us.  You want a High Priest? You can have a High Priest.  We will pick one who is loyal to us.  Oh, yeah.  By the way, we need to pay for their salaries and the salaries of the army who just conquered you.  So, you need to pay taxes.  We will send a tax collector that we pick from among you who is loyal to us.  In other words, we will send someone you already know who is a traitor to your traditions.  Oh, an their salary will be paid out of your taxes.  We will tell them to give us a certain amount and then they can keep however much they collect above that amount.  It’s not really “stealing.” It’s just their “commission.”

Tax collectors were considered the lowest of the low.  Yet Jesus selected a tax-collector to be one of his twelve. (Matthew’s given name was Levi – a good Israelite name.)  God inspired this same tax-collector to write down his encounters with Jesus.  A tax-collector wrote the book of Matthew.

How about you? How does this affect your approach to Matthew’s words?  Since God used a tax-collector’s words in this way, how do you think God can use your words?