Introduction: Why This Matters
Have you ever felt left out, like you weren’t good enough, or like people didn’t want you around? That’s how Matthew the tax collector probably felt. But Jesus didn’t avoid him—He invited him in.
This lesson reminds us that Jesus doesn’t look at labels—He looks at hearts. And He’s in the business of calling outcasts into His purpose.
1. Bible Reading: Matthew 9:9
“As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth. ‘Follow me,’ he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him.”
Explanation For Teenagers
Tax collectors were hated because they worked for Rome and often cheated people.
But Jesus didn’t see Matthew as a lost cause—He saw potential and purpose.
Jesus calls people not because they’re perfect, but because He has a plan for them.
Youth Group Discussion Questions
- Why do you think Jesus called someone like Matthew?
- Have you ever felt overlooked or unqualified?
- What would it look like for you to “get up and follow” Jesus today?
2. Bible Reading: Matthew 9:10–13
“While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, ‘Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?’ On hearing this, Jesus said, ‘It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: “I desire mercy, not sacrifice.” For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.'”
Explanation For Teenagers
Jesus didn’t come for people who think they have it all together. He came for the broken, the rejected, the messed-up.
He sat at the same table with those everyone else avoided. That’s the kind of Savior He is.
If you’ve ever felt like an outsider—Jesus says, “You’re invited.”
Youth Group Discussion Questions
- How does it make you feel to know Jesus chooses outcasts?
- What does it mean that He “desires mercy, not sacrifice”?
- How can we invite others like Jesus did?
Youth Group Game: “Outcast Challenge”
What You’ll Need:
- Index cards with random roles (e.g., “rejected,” “celebrity,” “quiet kid,” etc.)
- Chairs in a circle
How to Play:
- Each student draws a role and interacts with others in character.
- After a few minutes, pause and reflect on how it felt to be left out or favored.
- Discuss how Jesus turns those roles upside down and includes everyone.
Debrief
- What did you feel during the game—especially if you were “excluded”?
- How does this change the way we see people who are different?
- What’s one way you can show Jesus’ love to an outsider this week?
Closing Prayer
Jesus, thank You for seeing us and calling us, even when others overlook us. Help us to follow You boldly like Matthew did. Give us eyes to see the people around us the way You do—and to invite them to Your table. In Your name, Amen.