Jesus Calls Matthew

Matt 9:9-13 “As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him. And as Jesus reclined at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and his disciples. And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” But when he heard it, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.””

Before the calling...

Jesus’ choosing of His disciples came after a time of prayer and solitude

Jesus caught and sought His disciples

Andrew left John the Baptist for Jesus

grew up in the faith

Others were brought to Jesus (Nathanael)

result of evangelism

Others were called out by Jesus (Matthew)

result of God sovereignly setting His hand upon you (crisis, conscience…)

Who was Matthew?

His vocation

sub-contracted tax collector.

tax collectors known for over-charging and lining their pockets

considered a traitor

not welcome in synagogue, Jewish homes

friend group would have been other tax-collectors and “sinners”

His skill set

good with numbers

shorthand writing skills

business savvy

Very little is known about the disciples’ vocations before following Jesus

(Peter, James, John, Andrew- fishermen. Matthew- tax collector)

Textually, this may imply that what we were matters less that what we will be as we follow Jesus.

Only those who are “sick”

“Mercy and not sacrifice” Hos. 6:6; Ps 51:16-17 “For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; you will not be pleased with a burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.”

What about you?

Are you sick and in need of healing?

Are you good to go, or in need of a savior?

Have you placed any self-imposed limitations on yourself, your availability?

God is not interested in your ability, He’s interested in your availability.

God does not call the equipped, He equips the called

Luke 9:23-27 “And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself? For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. But I tell you truly, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God.””

Not merely “come as you are”, but come and enter into the death of Christ, that you may be made ALIVE in Christ.

“deny” “take up…cross”- implications of dying to one’s self.

Jesus wants to be your life, not just part of it.