Leaving the Booth Behind

Jesu Juva

St. Matthew 9:9-13                                   

September 21, 2025

St. Matthew, Apostle & Evangelist 

 Dear saints of our Savior~

        On the popular show, The Chosen, Matthew the tax collector is portrayed as someone “on the spectrum.”  Today this version of Matthew might be diagnosed with Aspergers—with a little bit of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder thrown in for good measure.  He understands concrete, literal thinking.  He’s very good when it comes to numbers—to taxes and tolls, silver and shekels.  But matters of faith leave him scratching his head.  He can’t think in the abstract.  He’s clueless in social situations because he misses all the non-verbal signals.  He’s lovable, but awkward.

        To be honest, it’s not a very flattering portrayal of Matthew.  It strips him of his boldness and courage.  It shrinks him down to size and makes him a lot like us.  It helps us to realize that every saint is also a sinner—each of us with strengths and weaknesses.  We aim to put our best foot forward; but our worst is usually just one step behind.     

        As a pastor, on Sunday mornings, I see people at their best—nicely dressed, showered, shaved, smiling, respectable.  I have a front row seat to watch beautiful brides walk down the aisle and to see the tiniest, cutest babies washed clean in the waters of Holy Baptism.  I see people at their best—confessing the faith and praising God. 

        As a pastor, I also see people at their worst—tearful people, cancer ravaged, people in such excruciating pain that it causes them to cry out.  I also see people whose pain is emotional—broken people, people so filled with shame that they can’t even look me in the eye.  I also see hard-hearted, unrepentant people, people so filled with pride that they literally snort at me with contempt.  I see people at their best and at their worst.

        As a general rule, people prefer to be seen at their best.  I suspect this was also true for Matthew the tax collector.  I suspect

that Matthew was more than a little uncomfortable when Jesus came calling.  For Jesus didn’t come calling when Matthew was at his best—when Matthew could put on a respectable, honorable appearance.  Jesus didn’t give Matthew the opportunity to clean up his act and distance himself from his dishonorable work.  In fact, Jesus came calling at the very place—the exact spot—where Matthew was at his worst—the tax collector’s booth.

        Tax collectors, in those days, were considered the worst of the worst.  They were notoriously dishonest and greedy; and there’s no reason to suspect that Matthew was any different.  The salary of tax collectors was based upon the amount of tax they collected; so, of course, they always collected as much as they possibly could.  Corruption, dishonesty, and the love of money were the roots of all evil that permeated the lives of most tax collectors.  The Jews considered tax collectors to be unclean.  They were outcasts, forbidden even to enter the synagogue for worship.

        Jesus, it seems, made a point to call Matthew while he was at his worst—where his wickedness was at work—while he was at the tax booth.  The Savior just showed up, leaving no chance for Matthew to first clean up his act, curb the corruption, or make a big donation to charity.  There was no time for Matthew to distance himself from the sin that entangled him.  There was no chance for Matthew to make himself respectable before Jesus called him.  No, suddenly, the Savior was there, seeing Matthew at his worst, and saying, “Follow me.” 

        Jesus invited Matthew to leave the tax booth behind—to begin a whole new life of discipleship—and apostleship. But this isn’t just a nice story with a happy ending about Matthew.  There’s something here for all of us.  For we also have been called to follow Jesus in faith. 

        You too have been called by Jesus to leave the booth behind—to walk away from whatever it is that hinders your faith and holds back your discipleship.  Matthew’s place of sin and shame was the tax collector’s booth.  And that’s the very place where Jesus came calling.  What is the place of your sin and shame?  In what carefully crafted compartment of your life is Jesus calling you to follow Him, and be your best self? 

        At what time and place in your life would you be most shamed and shocked to have the Savior show up, pointing His finger at you, and saying, “Leave it all behind, and follow me?”  Would it be while you leer at your computer monitor?  Or when you belly up to the bar for your fourth round, losing all semblance of self-control? Or while you artfully flirt with that charming person who isn’t your spouse?  Or while you carefully cheat your way through yet another exam? 

        What part of your life is the Savior calling you to leave behind today?  Perhaps for some of us, like Matthew, it’s the love of money.  Perhaps for others there are sins of addiction from which the Savior is calling us.  Drunkenness, drugs, porn, gambling, gossip, sex—there’s an endless list of possibilities—all of them idols for which we willingly sacrifice and risk everything.  Perhaps it’s the anger that erupts so often, or the loveless way you treat your parents. Or the apathy that constantly colors your outlook.  Whenever and wherever you would least like to have the Savior show up—then and there is where Jesus is calling you to leave the booth behind—to sever yourself from the sin and follow Him.

        Anyone who doesn’t think that they need to make any changes—well, that kind of puts you in the same camp as the Pharisees.  The Pharisees thought they had no need to leave anything behind.  They were pure and pious—models of spiritual health.  But Jesus told them, “It’s not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.”  It is to people sick with sin that Jesus comes calling.  It is to dying sinners in a dying world that Jesus comes with forgiveness, life and salvation.

        Beloved in the Lord, whatever part of your life Jesus is calling you to leave behind this day—know that this can only happen on Jesus’ terms and by His power.  When Jesus called Matthew to leave the tax booth behind and follow him, we hear nothing about any deliberation or decision-making on Matthew’s part.  Sinful Matthew didn’t decide to follow Jesus.  He couldn’t!  If Matthew wanted us to think that there was some great virtue in him that led him to devote his life to Christ, he could have written that down for us right here in the pages of his gospel.  But He didn’t.  What he did record for us was the one thing that made everything possible:  the all-powerful Word of the Lord:  Follow me.  Brothers and sisters, with those same powerful words Jesus is inviting you, today, to leave your sin behind and follow Him.

        Here’s how it works:  the One who calls you, cleans you.  Only Jesus can clean us up and make us worthy to be called His disciples.  Whether our sins are like Matthew’s sins—or whether our sins are like those of the proud and pious Pharisees—we believe and confess that Jesus was delivered over to death for those very sins, and was raised to life for our justification.  Jesus Christ came to call sinners.

        Jesus still comes to call sinners.  To all who answer to that name, Jesus offers His mercy and steadfast love.  To all who see and confess just how sick they really are, Jesus gives divine healing and perfect forgiveness—the gifts Jesus won for you on the cross. 

        At the cross it was Jesus who needed a physician.  At the cross our sins took a sickening toll on His bruised and bloody body.  At the cross Jesus was denied all mercy, and all compassion.  Instead, the justice and judgment of a righteous and holy God was unleashed upon His thorn-crowned flesh.

        But the one who became sick unto death with our sin now has the cure.  Through faith in Him, even sinners like us are counted as righteous.  In the miracle of your baptism Jesus has cleaned you to the core, and given you the gracious invitation:  Follow me.  Here in this place Jesus still eats with sinners.  And Jesus provides the main entrée—His own body and blood for the forgiveness of sins.  Here today is power—the power of Jesus for you—to hear His call and leave your sin behind, and love your neighbor as yourself.  And that’s a good look for you.  That’s you at your best!

        I told you earlier that I get to see people at their worst and at their best.  Here in the Divine Service I see you at your best.  And later on, in the not too distant future, when I see you in the life of the world to come, wearing a white robe washed in the blood of the Lamb, gathered around the throne, I will see you at your best—shining like stars—all because a gracious Savior has said to you:  Follow me. 

        In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.