Bihaen Jesus healim datfala man wea paralaes, hem stap for lelebet taem long Capernaum long north saed long Sea long Galilee. Staka pipol moa kam long hem, and hem teachim olketa. Taem Jesus wakabaot go, hem lukim Matthew, wea nara nem bilong hem Levi, hem sidaon long office for peim tax. Matthew kasem nambawan invitation. Jesus sei long hem: “Iu kam followim mi.”—Matthew 9:9.

Olsem Peter, Andrew, James, and John, maet Matthew tu hem savve lelebet long samfala teaching bilong Jesus and herem nius abaotem olketa nambawan samting wea hem duim long datfala area. And olsem Bible talem, ‘Matthew hem getap and go followim Jesus’ long semtaem wea Jesus askem hem, olsem nara fofala hia duim. (Matthew 9:9) So Matthew lusim waka bilong hem for tekem tax and hem kamap disaepol bilong Jesus.

Bihaen datwan, Matthew mekem wanfala big feast long haos bilong hem. Maet diswan hem for showimaot hem tinghae long wei wea Jesus chusim hem for kamap disaepol. Olketa wea kam long datfala feast hem Jesus and olketa disaepol bilong hem, and samfala man for tekem tax wea Matthew waka witim bifor. Waka bilong olketa hem for tekem tax for gavman bilong Rome wea olketa Jew heitim tumas. Olketa tekem tax from olketa ship, from olketa wea transportim kago, and from pipol wea tekem kam kago from nara kantri. Staka Jew heitim olketa man hia wea tekem tax bikos plande taem olketa ravem pipol. Samfala pipol wea sin tu stap long datfala feast, wea minim pipol wea wei bilong olketa hem olobaot.—Luke 7:37-39.

Taem olketa Pharisee wea act holy tumas lukim Jesus kaikai witim pipol olsem, olketa sei long olketa disaepol: “Hao nao teacher bilong iufala kaikai witim olketa wea tekem tax and pipol wea sin?” (Matthew 9:11) Jesus herem samting olketa talem, so hem sei: “Pipol wea sik nao need for go lukim doctor, no olketa wea strong. Iufala go, and lanem mining bilong disfala toktok wea sei: ‘Mi no laekem sakrifaes, bat mi laekem iufala for showimaot mercy long nara pipol.’ Mi no kam for talem gudfala pipol for repent, bat for talem pipol wea sin nao for repent.” (Matthew 9:12, 13; Hosea 6:6) Nomata olketa Pharisee kolem Jesus “teacher” olketa nating bilivim hem wanfala teacher, so olketa no laek lane from Jesus nomata Jesus fit for teachim olketa wanem hem stret.

Luk olsem Matthew invaetem olketa man for tekem tax and olketa wea sin long haos bilong hem mekem olketa savve lisin long Jesus. Hem no invaetem olketa for Jesus healim olketa, bat for helpem olketa fren witim God bikos “plande long olketa hia followim [Jesus].” (Mark 2:15) Jesus laek for helpem olketa for fren gud witim God. Olketa Pharisee wea tingse olketa holy tumas les long pipol olsem, bat Jesus no olsem olketa. From hem sorre long pipol and showimaot mercy, hem olsem wanfala doctor wea savve healim pipol wea sik long spiritual wei.

Jesus showimaot mercy long pipol for tekem tax and olketa wea sin, no from hem ting nating long sin bilong olketa, bat bikos hem sorre long olketa, olsem hem sorre long olketa wea sik. Tingim datfala man wea garem leprosy. Jesus tasim hem and sei: “Mi barava laek for duim datwan. Iu gud bak nao.” (Matthew 8:3) Iumi tu shud showimaot mercy and helpem pipol wea garem need, especially long spiritual wei.