Following Something

God’s receiving the sinner and refusing the righteous is central to the Christian faith. The gospel is not for good people but for bad people who know they are bad and who come to God for forgiveness and cleansing.[1] From the earliest part of his gospel, Matthew gives the message of God’s forgiveness of repentant sinners. In the genealogy of Jesus in chapter 1 he specifically mentions a few people whose lives were marked by terrible sin. Both Rahab and Ruth were from pagan, idolatrous, Gentile nations, and Rahab was even a prostitute. Although David was a man after God’s own heart, he was also a murderer and adulterer.[2] We see in the previous verses that Christ restored a man’s ability to walk with the forgiven of his sins. The Scribes called Jesus blasphemes because He said this man’s sins were forgiven. Jesus leaves Capernaum and heads towards the shores of the Sea of Galilee.

John MacArthur’s statement is seen throughout the calling of the disciples and Apostles. Here in this one verse, we see it clearly, that Christ is showing MERCY, to one of the most despised Jews in Capernaum by his own people. Tax collectors were public enemy number 1 to the Jewish people. They were lower than the Gentiles.

The noted Jewish scholar Alfred Edersheim reports that a Jewish publicani was barred from the synagogue and was forbidden to have any religious or social contact with his fellow Jews. He was ranked with the unclean animals, which a devout Jew would not so much as touch. He was in the class of swine, and because he was held to be a traitor and a congenital liar, he was ranked with robbers and murderers and was forbidden to give testimony in any Jewish court.

There are two kind of taxes collectors in Rome; gabbai, these collected taxes on land and other property or income. The second kind were called mokhes who collected wide variety of taxes. The two kinds of mokhes where great and small mokhes, great mokhes hired men to collect their taxes therefore, they were able to protect their reputation somewhat. Matthew was a small mokhes they collected the taxes themselves. The gabbai were despised, the great mokhes were despised a little more and the small mokhes were despised the greatest by their countrymen. These men would be equivalent to our IRS agents and Tax commissioners of each state. Nobody likes the IRS, and we definitely are not inviting the local tax man over to the family bar-b-que.

1) Jesus, was intently looking for the sick.He (saw) “eidon” to have known, )) Matthew’s hurt, discomfort, depression, anxiety, whatever he all felt, Christ saw it (knew it). He sees the same in those who are lost in the world. Allow me to expound for just a minute on this. It was not like Christ knew Matthew like I might know of Dak Prescot. Jeremiah 1:5 ““Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.”” This is, Christ saw (Knew) Matthew like a parent knows (sees) their child, parents know when their child is hurting. They feel it in their innermost being. Jesus sees through the outer appearance of a man and sees their heart! 1 Samuel 16:7 “But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.””

Eliab had great physical appearance, but he did not have the heart of a king! Jesse did not even mention David until Samuel acquired about all his sons. (11) “And Samuel said to Jesse, “Are all the young men here?” Then he said, “There remains yet the youngest and there he is keeping the sheep.”” He was thought as the most unlikely to be anointed King by the Lord, so his own father left him to tend to sheep. David was “ruddy” or reddish from the sun with big eyes and good looks. The Spirit of the Lord came upon him!

We see the contempt of the Pharisees and Scribes in the very next verse. How dare this Jesus eat with such vile people who disgrace the name of the Lord. Question to ask ourselves to have we not thought the same thing when a sinner walks in the church? Mark 2:16 “When the scribes of the Pharisees saw that He was eating with the sinners and tax collectors, they said to His disciples, “Why is He eating and drinking with tax collectors and sinners?””

Sinners here is a general term for covering those who were not allowed to act as Judges or witnesses because of their moral unreliability. The Pharisees and Scribes would use this same kind of people to bear false witness against Jesus. Matthew 26:60 “They did not find any, even though many false witnesses came forward. But later on two came forward,”

They were looked down on being traitors. The religious elite could not believe what they were seeing with Christ eating with such vile people. But who are the real vile people in this passage? Who are those who look at us in disgust when we were called by Christ? Luke 18:10-14 ““Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. “The Pharisee stood and was praying this to himself: ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. ‘I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.’ “But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, the sinner!’ “I tell you, this man went to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.””

Augustine pleaded “Lord, save me from that wicked man, myself.” John Wesley wrote, “I am fallen short of the glory of God, my whole heart is altogether corrupt and abominable, and consequently my whole life being an evil tree cannot bring forth good fruit.” Augustus Toplady who wrote the beloved hymn “Rock of Ages,” said of himself,”Oh that such a wretch as I should ever be tempted to think highly of himself. I am myself nothing but sin and weakness, in whose flesh naturally dwells no good thing.” As Peter beheld Jesus’ great power and glory said, Luke 5:8 “But when Simon Peter saw that, he fell down at Jesus’ feet, saying, “Go away from me Lord, for I am a sinful man!””

And let these are the very ones who Jesus called! He did not go looking for the religious elite (outside of Paul).

2) Jesus comes to you. “…sitting at the tax office.” Matthew was clearly in a place of torment. He was not able to attend Jewish feast, weddings, birthdays, or any special synagogue events. He was an outcast by his people and a puppet to the Romans in collecting money. Jesus did what no other would, He came to him with LOVE! Jesus does not come in a condemning manner but gives us a way out of eternal torment and into a life of abundance, through repentance! Luke 5:32 ““I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.”” John 10:10 ““The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”

Do you think Matthew felt CONDEMNATION for Christ or from the Religious Elite? What kind of spirit are we putting off when those who are hurting and need physician? Is it the Love of Christ they feel or the condemnation of the Pharisees?

3) He Calls you out of the sin you are in.He is not going to leave you in the mess you are in. Gospel of John reminds us this truth, John 8:11-12 “ She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.” Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life. ””

He just does not call us, but He calls us by our name!

John 10:3

“To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.” The word that John uses here is (phoneo) which means to summon. Has anyone ever been summoned to court? They use your name, mailing address, and they have your information to make sure they are summoning the right person. Jesus knows you even more intimate than that! He knows how many hairs or lacking hairs that are on your head. He knows you from end to beginning. Before the foundation of the earth, He knew you and everything you have ever done. And, yet He stills calls you by your name out to Him. He named us while we were in our mother’s womb; Isaiah 49:1 ““Listen, O coastlands, to Me, And take heed, you peoples from afar! The Lord has called Me from the womb; From the matrix of My mother He has made mention of My name.”

4) What did it cost Matthew? Everything and nothing in terms of worldly life and he gained everything and lost nothing in eternity matters. Mark 8:35-36 ““For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. “For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul?” Philippians 3:7 “But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. ”

What did it cost Matthew to follow Jesus, his own desires for his life. He made wealth by being despised by his own. Do you think he would have been eager to make this wealth knowing his countrymen would hate him? It cost him his nice living arrangements that the Roman government gave him. Luke tells us that Matthew left everything to follow Christ. Luke 5:28 “And he left everything behind and got up and began to follow Him.” When he walked away from his post, he literally lost everything to Follow Christ. He lost his life to gain his eternity with the King!

So many people seek after worldly possessions not counting the cost. Money and materialistic possessions are not what brings JOY into your life. That belongs to Christ and His relationship with us. Things of this earth will fade away, be destroyed, or stolen, but the Love of Christ will last forever. Matthew 6:19-21 ““Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. “But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

A) He Comes to Us: Jesus was intently looking when He saw Matthew. He has been intently looking at you! Jesus does not see us as we see ourselves. We see the outer appearance of a person who has sinned, the blemishes of our failures outline the person in the mirror. We hear the lies that comes from Satan, we are not good enough and God won’t forgive us. But listen to the Words of Christ in Matthew 9:13 ,“…I desire mercy and not sacrifice. For I did not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.”

B) He Calls Us Out : The initiative for the call comes totally from Jesus. Once the Father draws you to Christ, He calls you. John 6:44 “ No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day. ” Once that draw has happened Jesus tells us in Revelation that He is knocking, Revelation 3:20 “ Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.”

He is not calling you to have it all together, nor will you on this side of heaven. There will be a progression striving to perfection once you surrender to Him and receive the Holy Spirit.

We are called to serve Him once He calls us out and we surrender to Him. John 12:26 ““ If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also; if anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him.” Comfort in knowing that He is not going to call you and leave you but will be with you until the end of age . Matthew 28:20 “ teaching them to observe all that I commanded you ; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age .””

C) He Cleanses Us : Psalm 51:2 “Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity And cleanse me from my sin.” , 7 “Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.”

To wash comes from the word “kabbse” which meant to clean for ritual purification. The Israelites had a process for cleaning themselves before rituals performed unto God. Christ washes us from our failures and cleanses us from our sins.

THE BLOOD OF THE LAMB WILL WASH US WHITER THAN SNOW!!!

D) He Creates Unity: This is where the Church has gotten off task. Christ created ONE Bride not multiple brides doing their own thing. You want to know why Satan is winning the lost and we are not? Because we are so divided that we can’t stand together against him. Luke 11:17 “But He knew their thoughts and said to them, “Any kingdom divided against itself is laid waste; and a house divided against itself falls. ” Jesus forewarned us in Luke that we would fail if we were divided, but we do not heed this warning.

Israel was divided after King Solomon, and they could not withstand the attacks of the surrounding countries. We too are divided and are not able to withstand the attack of the enemy.Christ calls us into UNITY with one another and the Trinity, John 17:20-23 ““ I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me. “The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one; I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me.”

How does the world know we are one called by Christ, when we have unity with one and another in HIM. Listen, to Paul’s words, Ephesians 4:1-6 “ Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.”

What does it mean to have Unity, it is to be ONE with the Lord and each other. We have such a hard time trying to reach the lost because we are too busy arguing and fighting over trivial things! The enemy has us divided from the Lord and from one another. You can’t say you have fellowship with the Lord if you hate your brother, 1 John 2:9-11 “ The one who says he is in the Light and yet hates his brother is in the darkness until now. The one who loves his brother abides in the Light and there is no cause for stumbling in him. But the one who hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going because the darkness has blinded his eyes.”

1 John 4:10-11 “I n this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another .”

Unity = Love, Colossians 3:12-15 “ So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful.”

Galatians 3:28-29 “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.”

[1]John F. MacArthur Jr., Matthew, vol. 2, MacArthur New Testament Commentary (Chicago: Moody Press, 1985), 58. [2]John F. MacArthur Jr., Matthew, vol. 2, MacArthur New Testament Commentary (Chicago: Moody Press, 1985), 58.