I'm trying something a little different. Here's a testimony as if written by Matthew the Apostle:
Many assume that the love of money is the only reason anyone would ever become a publican or tax collector. I won't deny that was a primary motivation for many of my former colleagues, but I never cared that much about the money for its own sake. No, what drew me to the profession was the idea of balance. There is nothing so satisfying in all the world as watching week by week as outstanding accounts were slowly but surely paid in full and balance was restored. Leaving behind the money and the security to follow Jesus was nothing compared to leaving behind my ledgers and the joy that came in watching the numbers weave their intricate dance. But I soon discovered that following after Jesus afforded me the opportunity to witness the balancing of the books on a much grander scale. Nothing can compare with the thrill of witnessing firsthand as prophecy after prophecy was fulfilled by the long awaited arrival of the Messiah. My people had been waiting for years beyond count for the balance to come due for the promises made by generations of prophets and Jesus was everything that I ever could have hoped for. More than everything I hoped, in fact. You see, the Master taught me that merely balancing the scales was not enough. He did not just pay back in full the debts of all of God's children. He paid extra, even an infinite amount. To all who will come unto Him and receive His grace, more shall be given. In the face of His infinite mercy, all of my numbers and arithmetic fail utterly. One lost sheep that is found brings more joy than the ninety and nine who were not lost. Five loaves feed a crowd of five thousand with baskets and baskets left over. A quiet prayer uttered before the gates of the temple by one who could not bear even to look up to heaven, “God, be merciful to me a sinner”, was answered. Christ is the Gift of God. The more that I have studied and learned of Him, the more of this gift I have uncovered. This is a debt I will never be able to pay back, a balance that will never be cleared, a gift I can never return, and I am grateful to my Savior for showing me something even more precious than balance. I testify that to those who will receive the gift of God, even the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, more and more shall be given until we have received all that our Father has. In the name of my Master and my dearest Friend, Jesus Christ, Amen.
