At once, the publican rose up from his table, and left it to go with
Jesus. All the people wondered, as they saw one of the hated publicans
among the disciples, with Peter, and John, and the rest. But Jesus
believed that there is good in all kinds of people. Most of the men who
followed him were poor fishermen. None of them, so far as we know, was
rich. And when he called Matthew he saw a man with a true and loving
heart, whose rising up to follow Jesus just as soon as he was called
showed what a brave and faithful friend he would be. The first of the
four books about Jesus bears Matthew's name.
A little while after Jesus called him, Matthew made a great feast for
Jesus at his house; and to the feast he invited many publicans, and
others whom the Jews called sinners. The Pharisees saw Jesus sitting
among these people, and they said with scorn to his disciples:
"Why does your Master sit at the table with publicans and sinners?"
Jesus heard of what these men had said, and he said:
"Those that are well do not need a doctor to cure them, but those that
are sick do need one. I go to these people because they know that they
are sinners and need to be saved. I came not to call those who think
themselves to be good, but those who wish to be made better."
One evening Jesus went alone to a mountain not far from Capernaum. A
crowd of people and his disciples followed him; but Jesus left them all,
and went up to the top of the mountain, where he could be alone. There
he stayed all night, praying to God, his Father and our Father. In the
morning, out of all his followers, he chose twelve men who should walk
with him and listen to his words, so that they might be able to teach
others in turn. Some of these men he had called before; but now he
called them again, and others with them. They were called "The Twelve,"
or "the disciples"; and after Jesus went to heaven, they were called
"The Apostles," a word which means "those who were sent out," because
Jesus sent them out to preach the gospel to the world.
[Illustration: _"I came not to call those who think themselves to be
good"_]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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