Matthew, the Tax Collector

I'm pretty sure the modern American Church THINKS our opposition will come from secular people because of our morality (and there's SOME truth to that) but for Jesus Christ and His closest students, opposition arose from a different sector. It came from scrupulously moral and spiritual people. The opposition from "worldly" people was minimal (in fact they were curious and attracted). The real threat was from – what we might call – churchgoers and clergymen!

So… as hard as it may be to fathom: why would traditional, religious, moral people find Jesus Christ so threatening? AND is any opposition facing the church in OUR time and place – are WE facing resistance because of Jesus or for some other reason?

Let's look at:
#1 – two controversies and one big idea
#2 – two unnoticed facts that could've stopped the controversy
#3 – how this all informs our discipleship today

The two controversies are:

1. the company Jesus Christ kept (sometimes He ate with sinful, non-religious type people) and
2. a kind of lightheartedness or celebratory tone – He and His disciples seemed to be what no religious person SHOULD be i.e. happy. They ate and drank and seemed to enjoy it.