'Tax Collector' in the Bible
If you love those who love you, what reward will you have? Even the tax collectors do the same, don't they?
As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector's desk and told him, "Follow me." So he got up and followed him.
While he was having dinner at Matthew's home, many tax collectors and sinners arrived and began eating with Jesus and his disciples.
The Pharisees saw this and asked his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?"
Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James, the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus;
The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, "Look, a glutton and a drunk, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!' Absolved from every act of sin, is wisdom by her kith and kin."
If, however, he ignores them, tell it to the congregation. If he also ignores the congregation, regard him as an unbeliever and a tax collector.
Jesus told them, "I tell all of you with certainty, tax collectors and prostitutes will get into God's kingdom ahead of you! John came to you living a righteous life, and you didn't believe him, but the tax collectors and prostitutes did. But even when you saw that, you didn't change your minds at last and believe him."