Bible teacher Kat Armstrong is back to spark your holy curiosity. Instead of zooming in on one verse she guides us through the storylines and themes of scripture to see how the Bible is a literary masterpiece. Strengthen your faith through story today. It’s a grace to welcome Kat back to the farm’s table today…
My husband, Aaron, sold cars right out of college and into the early years of our marriage. We don’t miss the late nights on the car lot or the ups and downs of commission-based living, but we sure do miss the demo cars––nicest rides of our lives.
When we’d tell our friends and family what we were up to, we got a lot of confused looks in response to Aaron’s profession. Sometimes we could tell that people were trying to fix their faces so their disapproval wouldn’t show. Because people in the car industry couldn’t be trusted.
The car industry looks different twenty years later, but people often still stereotype those who work in the car industry as untrustworthy. We might feel the same way about politicians and attorneys. And yes, like all industries, these professions could use some reforms.
I don’t want to diminish those issues. But sometimes a person’s job title overshadows their humanness.
Instead of a job being what someone “does,” the caricature of their position defines who they are.
In the first century, tax collectors fell into dehumanizing stereotypes too.
Here’s what we know about tax collectors during the time of the New Testament from Jeffrey E. Miller’s entry “Tax Collector” in The Lexham Bible Dictionary (2016):
If you need a redo, a total overhaul of your life, you’re in good company.
- Tax collectors were “someone responsible for collecting taxes and tolls on behalf of the Roman government.”
- “Tax collectors earned a profit by demanding a higher tax from the people than they had prepaid to the Roman government. This system led to widespread greed and corruption. The tax-collecting profession was saturated with unscrupulous people who overtaxed others to maximize their personal gain.”
- “Since the Jews considered themselves victims of Roman oppression, Jewish tax collectors who overtaxed their fellow countrymen were especially despised. Jews viewed such favor for Rome as betrayal and equal to treason against God. Rabbinic sources consistently align Jewish tax collectors with robbers.”
- “The Jews hated paying taxes to the emperor and harbored a deep resentment for those who collected taxes from them.”
In Jesus’ time, tax collectors were hated, judged, and considered traitors. They were least liked by the religious elite and were considered unclean and unrighteous sinners. That’s why Jesus’ invitation to Matthew—to join Jesus’ inner circle as a disciple—is so astonishing.
Matthew, a tax collector, was minding his business when Jesus approached, invited him to follow Jesus, and welcomed him as a disciple. Matthew was a man who likely carried a lot of shame and experienced a lot of rejection because of his job. And yet, he ended up leaving behind the security of extortion and taxation to start a new life.
Even the worst of us get invitations to follow Jesus. The only question is whether we will say yes.
If you need a redo, a total overhaul of your life, you’re in good company.
Even the worst of us get invitations to follow Jesus. The only question is whether we will say yes.
When Matthew heard Jesus’ call to join his mission, he stood up and moved toward Christ. He not only stood up for Christ—he stood up for himself, perhaps for the first time taking faithful steps to move forward in his life. For too long, he’d settled for advancing the cause of Rome. Not anymore.
Matthew left his post to be near his Savior.
His past informed but did not define his future. It’s the same for us.
Soon enough, Matthew would witness the taxing sacrifice Jesus was willing to make to pay off all our debts. Jesus would offer his own life to save ours.
Matthew left the tollbooth with the One who could pay all the tolls and destroy all the booths. Jesus, the only person not taxed by corrupt powers, chose to pay the full and ultimate price for our salvation.
Matthew’s life was never the same after he chose to leave his tollbooth and follow Jesus. But there’s also something that never changed about Matthew. He never dropped the title “tax collector.”
In his own Gospel account, Matthew refers to himself as “Matthew the tax collector” even after coming to faith in Christ (Matthew 10:3). His new identity was in Christ, but I’m curious if Matthew considered his previous profession a part of himself. Not the whole. Not his identity. But a part of his past that he embraced without shame.
He’d been forgiven and welcomed into Jesus’ inner circle, befriended, and loved unconditionally by his Savior. Matthew was secure in his new identity as a child of God, and his role in life was simply a part of his life.
His past informed but did not define his future. It’s the same for us.
God defines our identity, not what we do or what we’ve done.
There is always time to put your faith back together. The Storyline Bible Studies follow a person, place, or thing to thematically guide you to a cohesive understanding of the Bible. In Sinners, we encounter God’s compassion and witness the counterintuitive ways he uses “sinful” people to achieve righteousness outcomes. Each Storyline study is five weeks and pairs with its thematic partner. Get free guides for small groups or teaching and watch Kat talk about each study at The Storyline Project.
Kat Armstrong is a sought-after Bible teacher and innovative ministry leader. She holds a master’s degree from Dallas Theological Seminary and is the author of multiple books including the Storyline Bible Studies. She is the cofounder of the Polished Network, and you can connect with her on your social media of choice.
[ Our humble thanks to NavPress for their partnership in today’s devotional. ]
