Matt. 9:9-13 – Jesus called Matthew, the author of this Gospel, from a job that made him a hated traitor in the mind of Jews. The taxes collected by Matthew (who was a Jew) for the Romans went toward things that were anathema to the Jewish mind. We are often reticent about sharing the gospel with people we think are “too far gone” in their morality to care about spiritual things. Jesus not only called these kinds of people, He ate with them, talked with them, and demonstrated His care for them even in the face of criticism. I should never pre-judge people whom I think will not repent. I never know who will “receive the calling” and who will “reject the calling.”
Matt. 9:14-17 – Fasting purposely during a wedding celebration does not fit the occasion any more than fasting while Jesus is physically present. What all disciples must realize is that the “bridegroom” is now gone, so fasting is not only fitting, it is a necessary discipline for Jesus’ followers. The disciples DID fast after the Master was gone, as evidenced in Acts. Why we don’t fast in their same manner is a mystery to any honest Bible student and a tragedy for certain.
Matt. 9:18-38 – Jesus can heal every sort of sickness or infirmity of the body, which clearly means He can heal a person’s sick or infirmed soul. As a disciple, I must seek those who are sick in their souls. I will “disciple” others if I have the spirit of compassion in me that prompted Jesus. So I must pray (“beseech”) and fast to implore my God to work through me and others to harvest these souls. Compassion must move me, not a sense of duty or baseless arrogance that I am better than all these “messed up, lost people.”