Experience the fullness of the Christian Faith

Matthew 9:9-13

Home
>>
Matthew 9:9-13

Matthew 9:9–13

9As Jesus was passing by from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax collection office. Jesus said to him, “Follow me,” and the man got up and began to follow him. 10It so happened that as Jesus was sitting in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came [in] and sat down with Jesus and his disciples. 11When the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”

12When Jesus heard it, he told them, “Those who are healthy have no need for a physician, but those who are sick do. 13But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ for I did not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.” 


You will hear this Gospel read at The Good Shepherd Orthodox Church during Holy Week, on Great and Holy Wednesday. It is the final reading in the cycle that began with James 5:10-16.

Details

The Good Shepherd Orthodox Church, located in Clayton, Melbourne, is a living witness to the power of the Gospel and the fullness of the Christian Faith in modern, secular Australia. 

About us. We are a vibrant Australian Christian community under the direction of the Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia, New Zealand & the Philippines, which is under the jurisdiction of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East. The Church of Antioch is the continuation of the Christian community founded in Antioch by the Apostles Peter (who served as its first bishop) and Paul. The Patriarchate of Antioch is the oldest of the ancient Patriarchates constituting the one Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church of Jesus Christ.

All services are in the English language and the Service of Holy Unction is held in the Main Chapel of the Religious Centre at Monash University, Clayton Campus, conveniently located in the centre of Melbourne’s residential population.

Parking in the University car parks is free after 7:00 pm, but please take note of all signs regarding Loading Zones, No Standing and Disabled Parking, these restrictions apply and are enforced.

For directions to the Religious Centre click here 

Blog

The Two Kinds of Suffering: Voluntary and Involuntary
Sdn Tim Grace
Sdn Tim Grace
August 9, 2026 10:00 AM
In this sermon, Sub Dn. Timothy Grace explores the Orthodox understanding of suffering, distinguishing between the voluntary hardships we take on through the ascetic disciplines of the Church and the involuntary trials that come to us against our will. Drawing on the day's epistle and gospel readings, he shows how both kinds of suffering, when met with patience and the right attitude, can open the heart to the grace of God. He reminds us that the Church is the place where these two forms of suffering meet, and that even what feels like failure by the world's standards can become our victory in Christ.
What Will You Do? The Feeding of the Five Thousand
Daniel McInnes
Daniel McInnes
July 26, 2026 10:00 AM
In this sermon on the feeding of the five thousand, Daniel McInnes reads St Matthew's account alongside the fuller detail of St John's Gospel, where Christ tests the disciples with the question, "Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?" Daniel draws out how God chooses to work through people who bring the little they have, how the miracle foreshadows the Eucharist, and how the same question — "What will you do?" — meets us in the needs we encounter every day.
More...
Get involved by visiting our Facebook Page
Follow us on X.
Follow us on Instagram
@TheGoodShepherdOrthodoxChurch
Sign up to receive a regular email newsletter from Fr. Geoff.