“Can people change?” is an implicit question in the opening salvo of conflict between Jesus and the Pharisees found in Matthew 9:9-13. The Pharisees are dubious of Jesus’ quest to call sinners and tax collectors into the reign of God. Jesus, who views us through a different set of lenses, is relentlessly hopeful that escape from the things that bind us and transformation into the joyful people of God is not only possible but probable. And Matthew and the crowd with whom he ate dinner that night are among the first to prove him right. youtu.be/y9V8oDrI-Oo