This first of the four gospels was written by the apostle Matthew. We know from the text that Matthew was a tax collector (Matthew 10:1-3), a profession that was one of the most reviled of the day. Often, the scriptures quote the Pharisees as including tax collectors along with "sinners" in a tone that implies that they are the most scorned people among the Jews (cf. Matthew 18:17, Mark 2:16, Luke 18:10-13); however, Jesus embraced the lowliest of the earth. Matthew was a disciple of Jesus and spent three years traveling and learning from his Savior and, therefore, was an eyewitness of all that is recorded in this book.
In today's reading, we see Jesus performing a number of miracles; healing the sick, reaching out to the destitute, casting out demons and (here the Pharisees gasp) enjoying a meal with "tax collectors and sinners" (Matthew 9:10-11).
Click on the link to read day 2: Matthew 7:28-12:50
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The Forty-Day Challenge, New Testament Edition is not intended to be an in-depth Bible study, but a challenge designed to help you to read through the entire New Testament in just forty days.
