Christmas with St Matthew 3

5.
“Even the tax collectors do that.” Did you hear what he said? my friends asked. What a slur. Even the tax collectors, as though we were the scum of society.
But I heard it differently. “You’re no better than the tax collectors,” he was saying. Which implied, I’m no worse than them. No further from receiving the blessings of God.

6.
Every day I heard reports of what he was saying. I wouldn’t dare show my face personally, not in that company. All the bigwigs and teachers were there, waiting to catch him out, never succeeding but always watching for the opportunity. He was no fan of theirs either, and it would almost have been worth the shame I would wear just to see him dig into them, rub their faces in the self-righteous dirt. But there was one thing I heard reports of him saying that stuck in me: “You can’t serve God and money.” I knew that to be true, though it still pained to hear it said so bluntly. What stuck most though was what came next: “Therefore do not worry.” How could it be? Could I lay down my greatest idol, smash it like I was Elijah, and yet not be afraid? The possibility nudged me closer still to his words.