Daily Devotions for Sunday, September 21, 2025: Called from the Margins

 

The Daily Devotional

Sunday, September 21, 2025

Called from the Margins

As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth; and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he got up and followed him. (Matthew 9:9)

Introduction

The Feast of St. Matthew celebrates the surprising and transformative call of a tax collector to discipleship. In a world where tax collectors were despised as traitors and sinners, Jesus extended grace to Matthew, looking past his social standing and personal failings. This moment reminds us that God’s call often finds us in the ordinary places of life and reshapes us for extraordinary purposes.

Reflection

Imagine a construction worker at the end of a long shift, covered in dust and sweat, feeling unnoticed as cars rush past on the street. Most people don’t pause to see the person beneath the hard hat—they see only the job. But Jesus sees deeper. Just as He saw Matthew at the tax booth, He sees the worker’s heart, potential, and story.

Matthew’s call shows us that God doesn’t wait for us to clean up our lives or achieve a certain status before reaching out. Instead, Christ comes to us where we are—in workplaces, schools, homes, and even in places where others may overlook us. His invitation is personal, transformative, and dignifying. The outcasts, the overlooked, and the underestimated are precisely those whom Jesus delights to call.

Application

Who are the “tax collectors” in our communities today? Perhaps it is the homeless person on the corner, the immigrant struggling with language barriers, the teenager labeled as a troublemaker, the elderly neighbor forgotten by family—or the LGBTQ+ individual who has been pushed to the margins of church and community.

The Feast of St. Matthew challenges us to recognize these individuals not by their labels, but as people beloved of God. Christ’s grace does not stop at cultural boundaries or human divisions.

Practical challenge: Today, intentionally look beyond someone’s social role, appearance, reputation, or orientation. Offer a kind word, a listening ear, or even an invitation into fellowship. In doing so, you may mirror the same grace Jesus extended to Matthew.

Conclusion

Matthew’s story assures us that God’s grace reaches into the margins and transforms lives. No one is too far gone, too ordinary, or too stained by the past to hear Christ’s words: “Follow me.” When we respond, not only are our lives reshaped, but so too are the lives of all whom we touch.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, You called Matthew from his tax booth and made him a witness to Your kingdom. Help me to hear Your call in the ordinary moments of my life. Teach me to see others as You see them—not through the labels of society, but through the lens of Your grace. May I extend compassion to the outcast, welcome the overlooked, and embrace those who have felt excluded, including our LGBTQ+ neighbors. Let my words and deeds testify to Your love that knows no bounds. Amen.

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Devotional by: Kenny Sallee, ThM — Deming, NM, USA

The Bible texts are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible (NRSV)© 1989, 1993, the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.