When You Meet Jesus

When you meet Jesus, you find out that your behavior does not define your identity. When you meet Jesus, you want other people to meet Jesus too. When you meet Jesus, you realize that He has the cure for your sickness. This passage is from Matthew who is telling his story. Matthew was a tax collector who stole money from the people in his own country. He would be considered a bad man. When Matthew tells his own story, he states that he was a man sitting at a tax collector's booth. When we become followers of Jesus, all the stuff we did does not define who we are, we have a new identity. We must learn to see people the way Jesus does and not define people based on their behaviors. Jesus saw beyond Matthew’s sinful lifestyle and He called Matthew to follow Him. After Jesus called Matthew, Matthew had a party with other tax collectors and sinners and had Jesus over so that they could meet Jesus too. People will not get well until they realize that they are sick and Jesus is the cure. Jesus came to save sinners which make us eligible to receive forgiveness. We do not need to clean up our lives in order to become a Christian, we need Jesus to clean up our lives. We cannot make ourselves good enough to have God love us. Jesus came to save sinners, we need to confess our sins and ask Him to save us. He will!