Happy Feast of Saint Matthew! His reputation for depravity

[SaintMatthew]

I didn't realize today was the feast of Saint Matthew. He actually had such a reputation for depravity, that religious people were more scandalized, offended, shocked, and angered by his decision for Matthew to be one of his top twelve, even more than Judas, at least initially that was the case.

I don't remember a big objection to his choice of Judas originally, but with Matthew, people questioned the morality of the prophet who was so often hanging out with prostitutes, thieves, drunkards, and tax collectors.

This is taken from a website on Saint Matthew:

“Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do… I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.” – Matthew 9:12-13

Jesus shocked the religious teachers of his day in many ways; perhaps one of the most prominent examples was his association with sinners. Chief among these was Matthew, a tax collector. His commitment to follow Christ demonstrates that God has the power to transform the most depraved sinner into a saint for his glory. On September 21, we celebrate the feast of this sinner-turned saint, Saint Matthew the Apostle.

In ancient times, tax collectors were notorious for being dishonest, greedy, immoral individuals. They would often exploit taxpayers by exacting more than was required by the state and pocketing the difference for themselves. This behavior earned tax collectors a great deal of enmity from the public. Negative public opinion of Matthew may also have been exacerbated by his lineage: as a Galilean son of the tribe of Levi, he was likely viewed as sympathetic to the occupying Romans.

But Matthew’s example of faith demonstrates that Jesus can redeem any sinner. When Jesus first saw Matthew at his customs post, he said “Follow me.”

Given the unfavorable status of tax collectors, many in the community were critical when they heard that Jesus dined with Matthew.

While he was at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat with Jesus and his disciples. The Pharisees saw this and said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” He heard this and said, “Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do. Go and learn the meaning of the words, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.” – Matthew 9:10-13

Saint Matthew the Apostle serves as an example that Christ came to save all who are lost – the greatest of sinners chief amongst them. “

https://www.nationalshrine.org/blog/...le-evangelist/

Another thing tax collectors were notorious for was drunkeness, debauchery, and fornication.

Luke 18:9-14
New International Version
The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector
9 To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: 10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’

13 “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’

14 “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

Now, Jesus does not think sin is okay, and when he saved the life of the adulterer, he told her to sin no more.

On the same note however, the people Jesus was hanging out with, he knew, as I know from hanging out with criminals, the homeless, prostitutes, addicts, people enslaved to sin and vice, I know that even if they accept Jesus as Lord and savior, they remain enslaved to their sin, and they continue, with some rare exceptions, to fall into some ugly sins. Trying to live a pious, churchy, blameless life, is total torture for them, and they feel like a hypocrite, because they know what goes on in their head, their inclinations, their temptations, doesn't match the behaviors they are attempting, even if they succeed at putting on the show of piety.

Jesus knew many of those prostitutes are going to continue prostitution, because that will make them the quickest dollar, it's what they are used to, it might actually be the only vocation that they can survive at, if they have no financial support from family, because job opportunities for women, were very limited at that time.

I actually knew a Christian man, so enslaved to alcoholism that he was homeless, who I am convinced was a genuine prophet of God, he knew his Scriptures very well, and he told me with certainty, that something would happen soon in my life, that I didn't believe would happen, a tremendous blessing, he said the holy spirit told him, and he gave the details, and soon it actually happened. I don't feel like mentioning what it was, but it was not something that ever happened in my life before, so he shouldn't have been able to make such a guess, and every detail came true like he said.

But the man was never going to overcome his sinful lifestyle by the looks of it. But that doesn't mean God abandoned him either, or even took away some extraordinary gifts of the holy spirit, that most Christians don't even have.

The impure, sinful woman , at the feet of Jesus, drew scandal to the pious, religious people, who said that if Jesus was a genuine prophet, he would never be allowing a woman like that to touch him.

Jesus proceeded to praise her, saying she provided him greater service than all the religious people in the room, including the Apostles.

Jesus also said that prostitutes were getting to Heaven ahead of the people of his time that were the most pious, knew their scriptures the best, taught the laws of God, and appeared to be living the most virtuous lives, to a lot of people.

But still, sin is still sin, it is ugly, it invites all kinds of demonic influences or problems in our lives. But some people, especially those with disordered parents, those without parents, people abused a certain way, it takes an extremely rare miracle for them to overcome their depravity, and usually it doesn't happen, even if they are trying hard, and dedicated to it.

How many homosexuals ever become heterosexual is one example, and I have known homosexuals, who have been praying since they were children to be heterosexual, and they don't want to be the way they are.

The same is true with all kinds of other sinful habits. Guaranteed, the sinners Jesus was hanging out with, many of them, extremely likely most of them, he hung out with them knowing very well that they were going to return to their sinful lifestyle, because I have known so many great sinners who know Jesus, are Christians, and they even try very hard to overcome their sins, but it doesn't last long when they do, and even King David , an authentic prophet, an author of some scriptures, known for how holy and humble he was, was called " a man after God's own heart", who murdered his friend, a man of God, to get away with impregnating his wife during adultery.

Most drug addicts, drunkards, prostitutes, and Pagans would not actually commit a crime or sin like that. King David had 8 wives for crying out loud, and lots of other women he could have very easily married, who didn't have husbands.

So, if that comes after the most holy, blessed, anointed prophet after God's own heart, I think Jesus was well aware that most of the people he was hanging out with, were not overcoming their sins.

But, I do pray, that to some extent, I and others, can have the success that Matthew did, at overcoming his depravity, and living a holy life. It appears that with him, he did actually manage to (as a general rule) cease with bad behavior, and heal his reputation.

[SaintMatthew]

Also, the man I spoke of, who had what appeared to be the gift of prophesy, that actually appeared more authentic and the real deal, more than any Christian I have met, even monks, nuns, clergy, or the most pious, he displayed some very scandalous behavior.

I met him once, and his anger, cursing, blasphemies, look on his face, and voice, actually could have been in an exorcist movie, or he could have played one of the guys that Jesus cast demons out of.

But I'm convinced the genuine prophecy he spoke to me, it was not demonic, because it involved something that would happen to me soon, including the only dating relationship I ever had with a very devout, pious, churchy Christian female, that I didn't expect to be coming, and he said it would very shortly, and soon after he said that, I was ice skating, going to the movies, going to a dance, going to Bible studies, receiving miraculous medals, and gifts from this girl.

I didn't tell him I had any interest that I wanted anything like that, so for him to say it was going to happen really soon, I highly doubted it. Especially because this girl's parents homeschooled her, raised her to be pure of heart, and knew that I had a very sinful past.

Anyway, it never would have turned into marriage, or come close, but it was the most innocent holy relationship of that kind, that I have had with a female. Women I get with , are the complete opposite.

I'm best to stay celibate. But still, for him to say that was going to happen soon, and it was only the second time him and I hung out, he knew nothing about me, and then for it to happen, with details he mentioned, all happening, the guy had the greatest signs of genuine gift of prophecy, I have ever seen come from anyone, and he wasn't showing signs of living a holy life.