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 … Continue reading Sunday School Lesson: The Calling of Matthew – Jesus Chooses the Outcasts Matthew 9:9–13