Submit To Be More Vile
When Mercy Leads Us Beyond Comfort
Jimmy Stewart is remembered today as one of Hollywood’s most beloved actors, yet his biggest cinematic failure came right after World War II. His first film upon returning home, It’s a Wonderful Life, was a box‑office flop. Critics were lukewarm, the studio lost the equivalent of millions of dollars, and Stewart’s career hit its lowest point. The movie faded into obscurity until a copyright oversight allowed it to fall into the public domain. Local stations began airing it at Christmas simply because it was free, and slowly the film found new life. By the 1990s it had become a cherished classic, and today it is considered one of the greatest films ever made.
The story of It’s a Wonderful Life mirrors the story of Matthew. Both were written off too quickly. Both were dismissed as failures. Both needed a second look. Matthew was labeled an irredeemable sinner by the religious leaders of his day, yet Jesus saw a disciple. Jesus saw someone worth inviting, worth loving, and worth transforming. This morning’s scripture challenges us to ask a hard question: Who have we written off too quickly, and who might God be calling us to see with new eyes?
Matthew’s account of his own calling includes details the other gospels do not. By the time Jesus approached Matthew at his tax booth, Jesus was already well known in the region. He had preached the Sermon on the Mount, healed the sick, calmed storms, and drawn crowds from all over Galilee. Matthew almost certainly knew who Jesus was. He had heard the stories. He had likely heard Jesus’ message: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” I imagine Matthew wrestling with that message, feeling its pull yet feeling trapped in the life he had chosen. When Jesus finally looked him in the eye and said, “Follow me,” Matthew responded immediately. Sometimes all it takes is a personal invitation.
That truth still holds. Two‑thirds of Hoosiers do not attend church regularly, yet studies consistently show that most unchurched people would respond positively to an invitation from someone they know. Many people in our community are longing for forgiveness, belonging, and a second chance. They are one invitation away from encountering grace. The question is not whether we should invite someone. The question is who are you inviting?
The second detail Matthew includes is Jesus’ response to the Pharisees. They were scandalized that Jesus ate with sinners. In their worldview righteousness required separation. Holiness meant avoiding the unclean. Jesus shattered that assumption. He reminded them that doctors go to the sick, not the healthy, and then he added a line only Matthew records: “Go and learn what this means: I desire mercy, not sacrifice.”
Jesus quoted Hosea to remind them that God’s heart is not found in rule‑keeping but in mercy. Jesus led with love, not judgment. He built relationships with the very people the religious establishment avoided. He did not wait for sinners to come to him. He went to them.
John Wesley learned this lesson too. When George Whitefield invited him to preach outdoors, Wesley resisted. It felt improper, even “vile,” to preach outside a church building. Yet on April 2, 1739, Wesley wrote in his journal, “I submitted to be more vile,” and he proclaimed the gospel in the open air. That moment sparked a movement. Wesley realized that the good news was too important to stay inside the sanctuary.
Perhaps today we need to submit to being “more vile” in the same way. Churches often say everyone is welcome, yet we wait behind our doors and hope people wander in. Jesus did not do that. Wesley did not do that. And if we want to reach the people who feel excluded, forgotten, or unworthy, we cannot do that either. We must go where people are. We must lead with mercy. We must widen our circles and love without an agenda.
It’s a Wonderful Life became a masterpiece only when people gave it a second chance. Matthew became an apostle because Jesus did the same. Every person matters to God. Every person deserves mercy. And every person is worth an invitation.
Reflection Questions
1. Who in your life might be one personal invitation away from encountering grace?
2. What assumptions or judgments keep you from seeing someone the way Jesus sees them?
3. Where might God be calling you to “submit to be more vile” by stepping outside your comfort zone for the sake of love?
4. How can your church lead with mercy in a way that makes outsiders feel truly welcomed and valued?