GOSPEL OF MATTHEW - FAITH THAT FORGIVES AND CALLS

Matthew 9:1-13

Last week we talked about the strongholds that Jesus can break and how faith can be viewed as a battlefield and how we have to trust Jesus’ authority.  We saw how Jesus Directed the storm,  Defeated the enemy and Demands a decision.  Is Jesus greater than our jobs, greater than our hobbies and desires?  And we closed with the towns people demanding Jesus leave them after the pigs ran into the sea and drowned – their livelihoods were destroyed but men were saved.  And that is where we pick up the story so as we begin let us pray!

Sermon Title: “Faith That Forgives and Calls”

Matthew 9:1-13 – And getting into a boat he crossed over and came to his own city. And behold, some people brought to him a paralytic, lying on a bed. And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven.” And behold, some of the scribes said to themselves, “This man is blaspheming.” But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, “Why do you think evil in your hearts? For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he then said to the paralytic—“Rise, pick up your bed and go home.” And he rose and went home. When the crowds saw it, they were afraid, and they glorified God, who had given such authority to men. 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.”

Big Idea:

Jesus has authority to forgive sins, power to heal broken lives, and mercy to call the least expected into His kingdom.

Point 1 – Jesus Forgives Sin (Matthew 9:1–8)

Illustration: A person going to the doctor for back pain, only to find out they actually have a serious heart condition. The surface issue isn’t the root problem.  A real doctor not only heals symptoms but removes the root disease permanently. Jesus doesn’t just treat pain—He cures the deepest problem: sin.

Key Idea: Jesus’ greatest work is not physical healing but forgiving sin and restoring us to God.

This is the story in Mark where they tear the roof off

Jesus saw their faith – they really believed Jesus would cure would save -  

Take heart – take courage – be encouraged my son –

Your sins are forgiven – Jesus’ main mission – the total and forever forgiveness of sins to those who follow Him as Lord and Savior

Jesus knows our heart – He knew the hearts of the friends – knew the heart of the paralytic – knew the condition of the hearts of the Pharisees

He knows what we think and desire – He still loves us still forgives us

Blasphemeo – to speak against God -

What is easier to say I follow Christ or to actually live your life for Him?

So that we may know He forgives sins – He made the man walk

Rise up – take you mat and go home – take your mat

Remember what I did for you – share it with others

Supporting Scripture:

Psalm 103:2–3 – “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases,”

1 John 1:9 – “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Open-Ended Questions:

1. Why do you think Jesus first forgave the paralytic’s sins before healing his body?

2. How does forgiveness from Jesus give us freedom in everyday life?

3. What are areas in your life where you need His forgiveness today?

4. How does knowing Jesus forgives your sins change the way you see your struggles?

Point 2 – Jesus Calls the Outcast (Matthew 9:9–10)

Illustration: The captain choosing players for the team, instead of only picking the strongest, he chooses the overlooked and gives them purpose. That’s what Jesus does with Matthew.   A leader picks people not based on past failures but on their willingness to learn and commit.  Matthew was a tax collector—seen as a traitor—but Jesus chose him and writes the most extensive Gospel account.

Key Idea: Jesus doesn’t wait for people to be perfect—He calls them as they are, even tax collectors and sinners.  Jesus doesn’t call the “qualified” but those willing to follow Him.

Luke and Mark refer to Matthew by his tribe – Levi, only Matthew refers to himself as Matthew which means “Gift of God”

Andrew had prior dealings with Jesus before becoming a disciple – we don’t know about Matthew

Matthew didn’t have to do anything to get “right” with God – God called him, he followed

Matthew invites Jesus in – invites his friend to come meet Jesus

Tax collectors and sinners – tax collectors betrayers of Jews and sinners those who live sinful lives but are not ritualistic unclean – Pharisees were mad that Jesus would dine with them

Do we get mad when God blesses someone we deem unworthy, when someone gets a break that we don’t think deserves a break – if we are not careful – we can become Pharisaical in our hearts and minds

Where have I been judgmental toward the Matthews of the world keeping them from Christ?

Supporting Scripture:

Luke 19:10 – “The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

1 Corinthians 1:27–28 – “But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are,”

Open-Ended Questions:

1. Why do you think Jesus chose Matthew, a tax collector, to be His disciple?

2. What does this tell us about how God sees us compared to how the world sees us?

3. What does Matthew’s immediate response (“he got up and followed”) teach us about obedience?

4. How does it encourage you that Jesus calls ordinary, even disliked people, into His mission?

5. Who in your life might feel “unworthy,” but needs to know Jesus calls them too?

6. How can you respond to Jesus’ call to follow Him in your daily life?

Point 3 – Jesus Shows Mercy (Matthew 9:11–13)

Illustration: A hospital is not built for healthy people but for the sick. In the same way, the church is a place for the broken who need Jesus’ mercy but many are becoming museums of saints.

Key Idea: Jesus came for sinners, not the self-righteous; His mission is mercy, not condemnation.

Cures – Peter’s m-i-l, leaper, sick servant, demon possessed men – those who need Him

He came to bring back those that wandered from God or never knew God

He came to call those who are dead in sin to a new life and freedom

Hosea 6:6 – “I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings.”

He quotes Hosea 6:6 to the teachers that should know this but He tells them – “Go learn what this means”

         Go – into the pigs

         Go – Learn

         Go – Make Disciples

As with the Pharisee’s He is telling us to Go Learn – Learn what His Word says and do what His Word says to do

Go offer mercy and forgiveness

Go offer grace and love

He is telling us to Go – where is He calling you to go?

Supporting Scripture:

Psalm 40:6-8 – In sacrifice and offering you have not delighted, but you have given me an open ear. Burnt offering and sin offering you have not required. Then I said, “Behold, I have come; in the scroll of the book it is written of me: I delight to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart.”

Micah 6:8 – He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?

Open-Ended Questions:

1. How do you respond to Jesus’ words: “I desire mercy, not sacrifice”?

2. In what ways can we, like the Pharisees, sometimes forget God’s heart for mercy?

3. How can you show the mercy of Jesus to someone in your community this week?

Closing Idea:

Jesus not only heals bodies but forgives hearts, carries authority as God, and calls even the most unlikely people to follow Him. His forgiveness restores us, His authority secures us, and His call gives us purpose.  Jesus forgives our deepest sins, calls us from our ordinary lives, and covers us with mercy. If we truly believe this, then we must not only receive His forgiveness but also extend His mercy to others. 

Final Summary:

Matthew 9:1–13 shows us that Jesus meets us in our deepest need—our sin—and offers forgiveness. He proves His authority through both words and works. And He invites even the most unexpected people to walk with Him. When we respond in faith, we experience true healing, restoration, and purpose in Christ.  It reminds us that Jesus is greater than our sin, stronger than our shame, and kinder than our failures. He forgives, He calls, He shows mercy. The question for us is: Will we rise and follow Him, and will we invite others to experience the same mercy?

Let us pray!