But people don't like to pay taxes for things they don't think the government should pay for.
Matthew collected more taxes than he needed to. He got rich that way. People resented Matthew. He was not popular.
One time Matthew went to hear John the Baptist preach. John told people there was going to be a new kingdom of God soon, and they needed to be ready to be included in it.
John kept baptizing unpopular people who wanted to be part of that kingdom of God, and the good people didn't approve.
John the Baptist told the tax collectors listening to him that they could be baptized if they quit charged too much.
This made the good people in the audience mad because they never even let tax collectors into their synagogues to worship with them.
Matthew said he was sorry for taking too much money from tax payers, and then was baptized.
Matthew was so pleased. People at the Temple had never accepted him. But John the Baptist did. He even liked Matthew.
Matthew kept his promise to John and to God. He started charging people a lot less for their taxes.
When people asked him why he was lowering their taxes, he said it was because the new kingdom of God was starting soon and he wanted to be in it.
Not long after, Jesus moved to the same town Matthew lived in ~ Capernaum.
Matthew got to know Jesus better. He began to realize the new kingdom of God is in our hearts. He stayed with Jesus until Jesus died. Then Matthew spent the rest of his life telling people in other parts of the world how much Jesus loves them.
Do you know someone who isn't very popular because their parents have an unpopular occupation, or they look different or talk different than other people? Tell that person that s/he is popular with God. Then become that person's friend.