The Call of Christ - Mercy for the Broken

Title: The Call of Christ – Mercy for the Broken Text: Matthew 9:9–13, NKJV

Invocation Prayer

Heavenly Father, We gather in Your presence today, humbled by Your grace and mercy. As we open Your Word, prepare our hearts to receive its truth. Help us to see the call of Christ clearly, to understand His heart for the lost, and to reflect His mercy in our lives. May Your Spirit convict, comfort, and change us. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

I. The Call of a Sinner (v. 9)

“Follow Me.”

Jesus calls Matthew — a tax collector, despised by his people and viewed as a traitor and sinner. In today's terms, we might think of someone burdened with the gravest moral failures — someone society would consider unforgivable.

Yet, the call to follow Jesus is personal, direct, and transformative. When Jesus says, “Follow Me,” Matthew doesn’t hesitate — he rises and leaves everything behind to follow Christ.

What did that look like then?

Matthew left behind his career, his wealth, and his identity tied to sin. He surrendered a life contrary to God’s will to walk in obedience with Jesus.

What does that look like now?

Following Christ today means turning from a lifestyle of sin, forsaking old habits, old ways of thinking, and living in submission to Jesus' commands and example. It's not just belief — it's transformation.

Application: No one is too far gone to receive the call of Christ. When He calls, we are to respond immediately and wholeheartedly. Like Matthew, we must rise and follow.

📖 Cross-reference: Luke 5:27–28; 1 Corinthians 1:26–29

God chooses the lowly and despised things of the world to shame the wise and powerful.

II. Fellowship with the Outcasts (vv. 10–11)

“Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”

Jesus sits at the table with those society casts out. His presence with sinners isn’t approval of sin — it’s the initiation of healing. He draws near to lift people out of sin, not leave them in it.

The Pharisees question His associations. In their minds, a righteous teacher, especially the Messiah, should avoid the unclean and morally broken. Their hearts were focused not on redemption, but on self-righteous separation.

Sadly, that mindset persists even today. Many believe they must clean up their lives before they can come to Jesus — but that’s not the Gospel.

If we had to clean ourselves first, we would be saving ourselves by works. But salvation is by grace.

📖 Ephesians 2:8–9 (NKJV):

“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”

📖 Romans 5:8 (NKJV):

“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

📖 Hebrews 10:14 (NKJV):

“For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.”

That’s ongoing grace. That’s Jesus.

Therefore, we too must reflect Christ — not in judgment but in grace. The church should be a spiritual hospital, not a courtroom.

Application: Let us reflect Christ’s heart by reaching the lost with grace, not judgment. We don’t isolate the broken — we invite them to the table, just like Jesus did.

📖 Cross-reference: Luke 15:1–2; Romans 5:8

III. The Heart of True Religion (vv. 12–13)

“I desire mercy and not sacrifice.”

Jesus confronts the religious pride of the Pharisees and quotes Hosea 6:6. He says to them, “Go and learn what this means.” It’s a rebuke — not just of ignorance, but of hardened hearts.

📖 Hosea 6:6 (NKJV):

“For I desire mercy and not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.”

God isn’t interested in empty rituals. He desires hearts filled with mercy, obedience, and love. The Pharisees focused on the outward appearance of religion while neglecting the very heart of God — compassion for the lost.

Jesus clarifies His mission: “I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” He’s not interested in affirming the self-righteous. He came to rescue those who know they are spiritually sick and in need of healing.

Application: True religion isn’t about appearances. It's about compassion, humility, and a heart that beats for the broken. If we judge and exclude, we’re no different than the Pharisees. If we love and welcome the lost, we reflect Jesus.

📖 Cross-reference: Micah 6:6–8 “With what shall I come before the Lord, And bow myself before the High God? Shall I come before Him with burnt offerings, With calves a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, Ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God?”

Titus 3:4–5 “But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit,”

Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us.

Conclusion:

Jesus didn’t come for those who think they’re righteous — He came for those who know they’re not. He calls sinners, sits with outcasts, and corrects the prideful.

So let’s live like Him:

Let us respond to His call with total surrender.

Let us reach the outcast with the Gospel, not with judgment.

Let us reflect the heart of God — full of mercy, not ritual.

Final Invitation: If you’ve been running from that call… if you’ve believed you’re too far gone… if you’ve been clinging to empty religion instead of Christ… Jesus is calling today. “Follow Me.” Will you rise and follow?