Matthew 5:46

5:46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Even the tax collectors ¹  do the same, don’t they?

Matthew 9:10-11

9:10 As ²  Jesus ³  was having a meal ⁴  in Matthew’s ⁵  house, many tax collectors ⁶  and sinners came and ate with Jesus and his disciples. 9:11 When the Pharisees ⁷  saw this they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” ⁸ 

Matthew 18:17

18:17 If ⁹  he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. If ¹⁰  he refuses to listen to the church, treat him like ¹¹  a Gentile ¹²  or a tax collector. ¹³ 

[5:46]  ¹ sn The tax collectors would bid to collect taxes for the Roman government and then add a surcharge, which they kept. Since tax collectors worked for Rome, they were viewed as traitors to their own people and were not well liked.

[9:10]  ² tn Grk “And it happened that while.” The introductory phrase καὶ ἐγένετο (kai egeneto, “it happened that”) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.

[9:10]  ³ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been supplied in the translation for clarity.

[9:10]  ⁴ tn Grk “was reclining at table.”

[9:10]  ⁵ tn Grk “in the house.” The Greek article is used here in a context that implies possession, and the referent of the implied possessive pronoun (Matthew) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[9:10]  ⁶ sn See the note on tax collectors in 5:46.

[9:11]  ³ sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.

[9:11]  ⁴ sn The issue here is inappropriate associations. Jews were very careful about personal associations and contact as a matter of ritual cleanliness. Their question borders on an accusation that Jesus is ritually unclean.

[18:17]  ⁴ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[18:17]  ⁵ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[18:17]  ⁶ tn Grk “let him be to you as.”

[18:17]  ⁷ tn Or “a pagan.”

[18:17]  ⁸ sn To treat him like a Gentile or a tax collector means not to associate with such a person. See the note on tax collectors in 5:46.