Feeding The Hungry
Notes
Transcript
Doxology:
This is my Bible. It is God’s Holy Word. It is a lamp unto my feet, a light unto my path, and I will hide its words within my heart, that I might not sin against God. Amen!
Scripture Reference: Mark 2:13-22
13 Then He went out again by the sea; and all the multitude came to Him, and He taught them.
14 As He passed by, He saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, “Follow Me.” So he arose and followed Him.
15 Now it happened, as He was dining in Levi’s house, that many tax collectors and sinners also sat together with Jesus and His disciples; for there were many, and they followed Him.
16 And when the scribes and Pharisees saw Him eating with the tax collectors and sinners, they said to His disciples, “How is it that He eats and drinks with tax collectors and sinners?”
17 When Jesus heard it, He said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”
18 The disciples of John and of the Pharisees were fasting. Then they came and said to Him, “Why do the disciples of John and of the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?”
19 And Jesus said to them, “Can the friends of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them they cannot fast.
20 But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast in those days.
21 No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; or else the new piece pulls away from the old, and the tear is made worse.
22 And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine bursts the wineskins, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But new wine must be put into new wineskins.”
Context
Context
After healing the leper and the paralytic, Jesus went out again by the sea of Galilee. As always, multitudes came to Him and He used this opportunity to teach them.
Somewhere along this path, He came across Levi who was a tax collector, and asked him to become one of His disciples. We all know Levi as Matthew. The Gospel of Matthew actually says the name Matthew at this point.
Matthew, vols. 1-4 (The MacArthur New Testament Commentary) The Positive Response
Matthew was a publicani (whence the title publican in some translations), a man who served occupying Rome against his own people as a collector of taxes. By the nature of his position, his first loyalty had to be to Rome. Nationals of a country or province occupied by Rome could buy franchises that entitled them to levy certain taxes on the populace and on travelers. A franchise required collecting a specified amount of taxes for Rome and allowed anything collected beyond that figure to be kept as personal profit. Because his power of taxation was virtually unlimited and was enforced by the Roman military, the owner of a tax franchise in effect had a license for extortion. For those reasons the publicani were understandably considered traitors by their own people and were usually even more despised than Roman officials or soldiers.
Tax collectors were broken down into three categories:
Gabbai
Collected general taxes, which included those on land and other property taxes, income taxes, poll taxes, and registration taxes.
Mokhes
Collected use taxes: import taxes on goods, boat docking fees, business license fees, etc.
The Great Mokhes: Hired other men to collect taxes for them and, by virtue of partial anonymity, protected at least some of their reputation among their fellow brethren.
The Small Mokhes: Did their own assessing and collecting and therefore were in constant contact with members of the community as well as with all travelers who passed their way.
They had almost unlimited freedom in their taxing powers and could attach a tax to virtually any article or activity. For instance, they could levy a tax on a person’s boat, the fish they caught, or even on the dock he used to unload the fish. They could tax a traveler’s donkey, his slaves and servants, and even his goods. They even had authority to open private letters to see if a taxable business of some sort might be related within.
The Gabbai were despised; the great mokhes were more despised, and the small mokhes were despised the most.
Matthew was obviously a small mokhe, seeing that he himself was inside the tax booth when Jesus came by, which means he was amongst that group that was despised the most. It was that man, the one who was the most despised of the despicable that Jesus said, “Follow Me!”
Understanding their political position helps us to also understand their social position. These men were despised to say the least. Most people hated them because of their chosen profession. They willingly betrayed their own people to work for the Romans....all for money. They were considered outcasts, scum, unworthy of any compassion, affection, mercy, or love. They deserved nothing but death in the eyes of most people.
But then Jesus comes by, knowing their situation, and willingly invites one of these men to be one of His disciples. This infuriated the Pharisees.
Matthew, vols. 1-4 (The MacArthur New Testament Commentary) The Negative Response
The Pharisees did not think they needed God’s forgiveness and were certain that tax-gatherers and sinners did not deserve it
So when Jesus ends up at Matthew’s house, eating with a bunch of tax collectors and sinners, the Pharisees took notice and had some questions.
First Question
First Question
16 And when the scribes and Pharisees saw Him eating with the tax collectors and sinners, they said to His disciples, “How is it that He eats and drinks with tax collectors and sinners?”
“How is it that He eats and drinks with tax collectors and sinners?”
Their first question sets the stage for us to learn a lot about them and Jesus’ mission here.
They are appalled at the fact that Jesus is socializing with THESE men. How could He? How could He stoop so low? How could He be ok with being seen with these men? These men are ruthless, greedy traitors. They do not deserve to be socialized with. Everyone knows this, so why doesn’t He? Is he truly that crazy? What is His play here?
Notice also that the religious elites do not approach Jesus directly. To me, this shows that they are to cowardly to do so. They had seen how Jesus handled Himself. They knew how smart He was, and that He could articulate the Word of God better than anyone they had ever seen. They were afraid that if they made too much of a ruckus, Jesus might end up turning this shame back around on them, and they didn’t want that. So, they go to the disciples instead.
These men were hoping that some of His disciples felt the same way about what was going on as Jesus did. If they could cast some doubt amongst His followers, then they could possibly cause some dissension amongst the group.
Isn’t it funny when people have a problem with something that someone else does, they very rarely go to that person directly. Usually what happens is that they end up asking every other single person imaginable to find the answers they seek. What does this do? It causes division, doubt, and dissension to be stirred up in the hearts of people for no apparent reason, other than someone is a busy body and doesn’t know how to mind their own business. God condemns this type of behavior.
Jesus hears the question that is posed to His disciples and instead of letting this dissension sink in, He decides to speak out directly to His accusers Himself.
17 When Jesus heard it, He said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”
This reveals the hearts of all
He ate with sinners because they were hungry!
23 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.
This reveals His purpose
Second Question
Second Question
18 The disciples of John and of the Pharisees were fasting. Then they came and said to Him, “Why do the disciples of John and of the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?”
“Why do the disciples of John and of the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?”
Their first issue was that of fraternizing, but their second issue was about fasting.
God’s Law commanded that certain times throughout the year was to be given to fasting, but the Pharisees had moved beyond the Law of God and commanded that the people fast twice a week. This was one of the staple marks of a true religious person in their day. The Pharisees and even John’s disciples were fasting on one of these appointed days, but Jesus and His disciples were not.
The Pharisees calls Him out on it, not realizing that their self-righteousness to go above and beyond the Law of God was actually doing them no good.
This was their version of doing these so-called religious acts:
2 Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.
5 “And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.
16 “Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.
These men did not see religion as a matter of humility, repentance, or forgiveness, but as a matter of ceremony and proud display. Therefore, the external rituals which they paraded as badges of godly righteousness actually marked them as ungodly hypocrites, as Jesus declared in each of these verses.
Jesus illustrates this in His response:
19 And Jesus said to them, “Can the friends of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them they cannot fast.
20 But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast in those days.
In other words, there is a time for fasting, but it is not right now. Fasting is something one does when they are in need of something from God. While Jesus was on the Earth with His disciples, they were in need of nothing. They had everything they needed. Once He would be offered up on the cross and taken from them, then there would come a time for fasting. Then would be a time of need, but now, there was need.
Jesus is trying to help them understand that fasting is not something one does ritualistically, but reverently. It is done in sincerity and secretly, not socially while showboating.
Once again, the Pharisees have missed the mark of what God’s Word was actually communicating on an issue. They had put traditions and rituals in place to practice a mode of what they understood to be right without actually finding the truth of it in the first place. For them, it was more about action than actuality. It was about gaining reputation instead of offering repentance.
These men consistently challenged Jesus on just about everything He did, and almost every time that happened, Jesus would take the Word of God and show them how they had missed the mark.
He further explains the point by offering two different examples:
21 No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; or else the new piece pulls away from the old, and the tear is made worse.
The Gospel of Jesus was one of forgiveness and cleansing and that cannot be attached to the old and external traditions of self-righteousness and ritual. It can’t be works and grace. It has to be one or the other.
6 And if by grace, then it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace. But if it is of works, it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work.
22 And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine bursts the wineskins, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But new wine must be put into new wineskins.”
The only life that can contain true righteousness is the new life given by God when a person repents of his sin and trusts in jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.
The Pharisaical, legalistic, external, self-righteous system of traditional Judaism could neither connect with nor contain the ministry of Christ. Consequently, that system had only one option - to oppose and seek to eliminate Jesus, which is what it did.
Commitment
Commitment
Let us commit to following Christ, regardless of what the world or society or culture tells us. Matthew knew his chances in society, but when Christ came along offering a chance at redemption he took it.
Let me say this to you who are here and those who are watching, or will watch at some point in the future: Do not ever let anyone tell you that you can’t be saved. I know that some of you are looked down upon because of the sin in your lives, but Jesus came to save people just like you.
Now don’t misunderstand me. I’m not saying that you should come to church and try and demand that they accept your sin. If you are living in sin, it is what it is. Sin is sin. But remember the context of this passage. These men knew their sinfulness. They knew what they had done wrong, and they were genuinely interested in setting things right. They wanted a way out. If that is you....if you are know your mistakes and are willing to admit them; if you are looking for a way out and simply don’t know how to find it; you find yourself a Bible teaching church full of love and get yourself to it. You find the preacher, a deacon, or some other leader within the church who will sit down you, talk with you, and counsel with you. Jesus loves you and wants to see you set free from whatever bondage is holding you down. Come to Jesus and find the freedom you seek.
Let us commit to having compassion on the unsaved.
The problem with society is not that unsaved people are acting like unsaved people. The problem with out current society is that saved people are not acting like saved people. Unbelievers are going to act like unbelievers......it is who they are. But we Christians are better than that. We are not better than that because we go to church. We are not better because we have read the Bible. We are not better because we are not bound by the chains the unsaved are bound by. We are better for one reason and one reason only......God had mercy on our souls and saved us from our sin. Period.
Let us not look down on those who fail to understand this. They simply have not come into the same understanding that we now have. We once were exactly where they are. We too were born into sin and lived in it for several years. The thing that changed us is the same thing that can help and change them....which is nothing more than the blood of Jesus Christ. That’s it.
So let us have compassion on those who are unsaved and not be afraid to go them, talk with them, counsel with them, understand them, and love on them.
Let us commit to forsake legalism and ritualism and seek out Christ alone.
It is Jesus Christ who sets the standard for the Christian life, nothing else. Let us not get caught up in tradition to the point that we push people away. Let us love without judging. Let us dare to be different. Let us dare to go against the grain, to challenge the status quo. Let us examine ourselves in light of Jesus Christ and see if we are moving and operating in His will, or if we have somehow, inadvertently, become nothing more than modern-day Pharisees.
You know what we believe. We believe that every single day we walk the face of this earth, we are one step closer to the rapture of the church and the end of all things, where God sets things right forever. Let us not forget our purpose here, which is to lead as many as we possibly can to saving faith in Christ before that time comes. Every day we live our lives in judgment, or stuck in traditions that keep us from reaching the lost, is another day wasted and another day closer to eternal damnation to all who we have failed to reach.
The love that God has poured out upon us compels us to be better than that, to do more than that. Let us not waste the gift of grace, but rather let us use it as a means to move and operate apart from the chains that once held us captive and let us change the world for the cause of Christ.
This next year, let us find those who are hungry and hurting, let us feed them Jesus, and let us rejoice as God saves those who will believe in His name.
