The Call of Mercy - Part 2

Matthew finds in Jesus what he has been missing . Now invites tax collectors and others to dine with him and Jesus. The Lord dined with them to show mercy and grace. The Scribes and Pharisees did not see their own need because they were already "righteous". The irony of self-righteousness is that it condemns true righteousness.

That Jesus was teaching repentance, what He was saying, what He was doing, who He was showing grace and mercy to exposed the cold, hypocritical hearts of the Scribes and Pharisees. Instead of seeing themselves, they chose to show contempt to and of the Lord. They were living by the letter but missed the message of the law. Jesus could not help them until they saw their own need.