{"id":1219,"date":"2024-07-09T00:00:37","date_gmt":"2024-07-08T16:00:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lovesingapore.org.sg\/?p=1219"},"modified":"2024-07-11T10:16:06","modified_gmt":"2024-07-11T02:16:06","slug":"2024-day-9-reach-out-to-the-last-least-and-lost","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lovesingapore.org.sg\/en\/2024-day-9-reach-out-to-the-last-least-and-lost\/","title":{"rendered":"Day 9: Reach out to the last, least and lost"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

Matthew 9:9-12<\/cite> As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector\u2019s booth. \u201cFollow me,\u201d he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him. While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew\u2019s house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, \u201cWhy does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?\u201d On hearing this, Jesus said, \u201cIt is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Most of us are not unfamiliar with the story of the prodigal son.<\/span><\/p>\n

In fact, Matthew\u2019s story \u2013 Jesus\u2019 disciple \u2013 is a story of a prodigal son.<\/span><\/p>\n

Matthew was a tax collector. A tax collector was one of the most hated roles in the Jewish community. They betrayed their own people because they sold themselves to the Romans and worked for the Roman empire.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

All of them had bought the rights to collect taxes from the Romans. The more taxes they collected, the more money they could pocket. They were seen as robbers and traitors.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAs Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector\u2019s booth. \u2018Follow me,\u2019 he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him. While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew\u2019s house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, \u2018Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?\u2019 On hearing this, Jesus said, \u2018It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.<\/em>\u2019\u201d (Matthew 9:9-12)<\/span><\/p>\n

Matthew opened his heart to Jesus and was made new. This traitor, sinner and robber actually became Jesus\u2019 disciple.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Not only that, the Gospel written by Matthew became the first book in the New Testament. Indeed, the last shall be first.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What was ranked last by people was ranked first by Jesus. Matthew, though considered as last by people, became an important disciple of Jesus.<\/span><\/p>\n

Look with eyes of healing, not judgement<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n

We want to see Singapore saved. We need to reach people whom community and religious leaders consider impossible to save, and share the Gospel with them.<\/span><\/p>\n

We need to believe that those we consider unsavable can indeed be saved, and they can be useful for God after experiencing Christ. The last will be the first.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Pharisees did not understand Jesus\u2019 heart. What they saw was a sinner undeserved of saving.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Even today, many look at others with eyes of judgement, but Jesus looks at people with eyes of healing.<\/span>
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

Matthew, though considered as last by people, became an important disciple of Jesus.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Not only did Matthew open his heart, he also opened his home. He invited many friends from similar backgrounds to meet Jesus together.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If we want to Turn Singapore Godward, we need to pray and believe that those who are ostracised by society can be saved, and they can then share the Gospel, like Matthew.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Don\u2019t look down on those who appear to be the last because, with Jesus, they can bring many outsiders of the church to Christ.<\/span><\/p>\n

Let us bow and pray:<\/span><\/p>\n

Dear God, we come before You in repentance because we often do not have the courage to share the Gospel when we see people like Matthew. Lord please forgive us, give us faith, and make us strong and courageous to bring many people like Matthew to Christ.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Lord, we pray that many Matthews will come to be saved. May You grant us mercy and turn Singapore Godward. We pray together in one heart and one mind.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

We pray all these in Jesus\u2019 name, Amen!<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Matthew 9:9-12 As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector\u2019s booth. \u201cFollow me,\u201d he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him. While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew\u2019s house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples. When the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[150,151,152],"tags":[57,210,211,212,213,214,215],"taxonomies":[156],"class_list":["post-1219","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-40-day-2024-english","category-40-2024-","category-40-day-2024-family-devotions","tag-prodigal","tag-matthew","tag-tax-collector","tag-disciple","tag-last","tag-first","tag-ostracised","taxonomies-turning-singapore-godward"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nDay 9: Reach out to the last, least and lost — lovesingapore<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/lovesingapore.org.sg\/en\/2024-day-9-reach-out-to-the-last-least-and-lost\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Day 9: Reach out to the last, least and lost — lovesingapore\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Matthew 9:9-12 As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector\u2019s booth. \u201cFollow me,\u201d he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him. 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