The Mercy of the “Right Now”
Reading: Matthew 9:9–13
“Follow me,” Jesus told him,
and Matthew got up and followed him.
Matthew 9:9
When Jesus called Matthew, He did so in the middle of an ordinary workday and at the very place that symbolized Matthew’s compromised life—the tax booth. In Jesus’ time, tax collectors were viewed as collaborators and moral outsiders, yet Jesus did not wait for Matthew to resign, repent publicly, or repair his reputation. He walked straight into Matthew’s “right now” and spoke a simple, grace-filled invitation: “Follow me.” Mercy arrived before change, and acceptance came before reformation.
This moment exposes a deep truth about discipleship. Following Jesus is not a reward for having a cleaned-up past; it is the beginning of a transformed future. We often assume we must become better before we can draw near to God, but Matthew’s story reverses that logic. Jesus Himself explains it: “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick… I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” Grace is not the end result of transformation—it is the source of it.
Jesus still calls people this same way today. He meets us in our workplaces, our strained relationships, and our quiet inner battles, not once those spaces are fixed, but while they are still unfinished. Like Matthew, we are invited to rise, leave what binds us, and walk with Him. Where we respond to His mercy in the present moment, new life begins to take shape.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank You for meeting us exactly where we are and not where we think we should be. When we feel unworthy or unprepared, remind us that Your mercy comes first and Your grace does the transforming work. Give us willing hearts to rise and follow You today. Amen.
“Whoever says they live in him must walk as Jesus did.”
1 John 2:6
No comments:
Post a Comment