Jesus was despised by the religious people at the time. For them, holiness was about being separate from others, following rules and regulations which kept them clean in the eyes of God. Jesus brings about a new way of living showing that following him really is better than religion.
In this story Jesus calls Matthew to follow him. Matthew was a tax collector, despised by the Jewish people and a social outcast. Jesus looks past that and invites himself to Matthew's house to party with other tax collectors and sinners. What is our attitude to those on the edge? Do we engage like Jesus, or do we stand off at a distance like the Pharisees?
As we come to the end of Matthew's Gospel we have a final reminder of our mission to the world!
Raj and Suzanne talk about the importance of the resurrection and how it affects our lives today.
Why is it important that we know that Jesus was buried following his crucifixion? Listen and find out!
As Jesus is nailed to the cross, what looks like defeat actually speaks of a perfect victory!