Lectionary: Matthew 9 - June 7, 2026

In this sermon on Matthew 9, we are reminded that Jesus saw Matthew the tax collector—a man everyone else had written off—and offered him a simple, life-changing invitation: "Follow me." Just as Jesus lingered at Matthew's table without waiting for him to clean up his life first, He extends that same unhurried, personal invitation to each of us today, especially those who feel overlooked, overwhelmed, or too messy to matter. The call for us is to slow down, to truly see the people around us, and to invite both Jesus and others into the real, imperfect spaces of our lives.