A Gospel for Deplorables and Despicables

Mark 2:13–17 ESV

13 He went out again beside the sea, and all the crowd was coming to him, and he was teaching them. 14 And as he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him. 15 And as he reclined at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners were reclining with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. 16 And the scribes of the Pharisees, when they saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, said to his disciples, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?” 17 And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”

A Gospel for Deplorables and Dispicables

Just a note as we are read the text this morning. You will often hear skeptics quote the fact that there are thousands of ‘Errors’ in the New Testament manuscripts. We have somewhere in the region of 20,000 manuscripts of the New Testament. Some of them complete and some of them only a few fragments of a verse. We don’t have any of the origional autographs, which the Apostles wrote. They have been lost to the sands of time. These texts have all been copied by scribes. Some of those scribes were better, more careful than others. So the copies are of varying degrees of quality. Sometimes you will hear scholars like Bart Erhman tell you that there are over 200,000 errors or discrepancies in these manuscripts, and there are. That’s a lot. I mean that’s more words than there are in the New Testament. What scholars like Erhman don’t tell you however is that many of those “errors” come in the form of spelling variations. Like for example- do you spell Neil N-E-I-L or N-E-A-l. Well of course it is N-E-I-l, but not everyone knows that! This difficulty is compounded by the fact that there was no uniformly agreed standardized way of spelling in the ANE. Different regions spelled names and places differently. Another fact that these scholars like to leave out of their presentations is that let’s say someone spells Greensboro o-r-0 and another text changes the spelling to o-r-o-u-g-h. And lets say the ough spelling is copied 500 hundred times in other subsequent copies, scholars don’t count that as one variation, they count it as 500 variations, and not as one variation!

Other details they don’t like to mention is that in almost every case by examining the manuscripts and comparing the good, the better, and the best mansucript traditions we can arrive with over 98% certainty on what the original text actually said. And that even when there is some doubt, there is not one single instance where a so called error would change or alter the theological truth of the passage, or even affect its meaning in any way.

Our passage this morning contains just such a variation: A significant combination of early manuscripts has “Why does he eat,” but other early manuscripts and related later witnesses have “Why does he eat and drink” in some form. When “and drink” is present, it may reflect harmonization, as the parallel account in also contains “and drink.” In other words, scribes added the words from memory because of their knowledge of , or they wanted to try and make the two passage match for fear of undermining the infallibility of Scripture.

Mark 2:13–17 ESV

13 He went out again beside the sea, and all the crowd was coming to him, and he was teaching them. 14 And as he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him. 15 And as he reclined at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners were reclining with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. 16 And the scribes of the Pharisees, when they saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, said to his disciples, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?” 17 And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Introduction

Text

13He went out again beside the sea, and all the crowd was coming to him, and he was teaching them.

14And as he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him.

15And as he reclined at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners were reclining with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many who followed him.

Other details they don’t like to mention is that in almost every case by examining the manuscripts and comparing the good, the better, and the best mansucript traditions we can arrive with over 98% certainty on what the original text actually said. And that even when there is some doubt, there is not one single instance where a so called error would change or alter the theological truth of the passage, or even affect its meaning in any way.

16And the scribes of the Pharisees, when they saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, said to his disciples, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?”

17And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Our passage this morning contains just such a variation: A significant combination of early manuscripts has “Why does he eat,” but other early manuscripts and related later witnesses have “Why does he eat and drink” in some form. When “and drink” is present, it may reflect harmonization, as the parallel account in also contains “and drink.” In other words, scribes added the words from memory because of their knowledge of , or they wanted to try and make the two passage match for fear of undermining the infallibility of Scripture.

Textual Variant

A significant combination of early manuscripts has “Why does he eat,” but other early manuscripts and related later witnesses have “Why does he eat and drink” in some form. When “and drink” is present, it may reflect harmonization, as the parallel account in also contains “and drink.”

Introduction

Nobody likes paying taxes. This is true in our day. But it was especially true in Christ’s day. The Jews bitterly resented paying taxes to the Roman invader. So in the days of Jesus, to be a tax collector was a particularly deplorable profession. In fact, the Pharisees could barely find words dark enough to describe these traitors. Not only did these men gather taxes for the Romans, but they paid for the privilege. Think of it a bit like a Tax Franchise. The Roman authority knew how much a particular area should bring in by way of taxes. And they farmed out the work to the highest bidder— with the lowest acceptable bid being the estimated tax revenue for the year. This sucessful bidder would pay this money upfront, and then spend the rest of the year recouping their costs collecting the taxes and adding a commission on the top end in order to walk away with a handsome profit. The Romans turned a blind eye to this dishonesty. As long as they got their money each year, they didn’t care how much the Tax Collectors swindled the people. The Common people were powerless to defend themselves. To makes matters worse, if you couldn’t afford to pay your tax bill, the tax collectors would lend the bankrupt money at an exorbitantly high interest rates, thereby increasing the burden upon the common man, rather than reducing it.

This is true in our day

But it was especially true in Christ’s day...

As a result, as you can imagine, these men were universally hated. They were regarded as the outcasts of society, a shame to their family. In terms of sheer degredation, they were lumped together with other deplorables like prostitutes and sex offenders. When Hiliary Clinton wants to insult people she calls them ‘Deplorables.” When Trump wants to kick a reporter in the teeth, he says, ‘fake news.” For the Pharisees, when they wanted to insult a group of people, they called them, “Tax Collectors and Sinners.” It was quite simply the worst insult they could imagine. If the bottomless pit of hell had a bottom, the Pharisees were quite convinced the tax collectors lined it.

To be a Tax Collector

A sinner was a hopelessly irreligious man, a man who cared little for the law, and nothing for God. The lepers were dirty on the outside, tax collectors and sinners were dirty all the way down to the bottom.

was indeed deplorable

The Pharisees could barely find words dark enough to describe

These traitors

Not only did these men gather taxes for the Roman invaders

They paid for the “privilege”

A Sinner

The Romans farmed the job out to the highest bidder

They left it up to the winner to recoup their costs by adding in generous commissions. The Romans didn’t really care how much extra you charged. As long as they got their money, as far as they were concerned, these traitors could charge whatever they liked.

As a result, as you can imagine, they were universally hated.

A Sinner

A shame to their family

In terms of degradation: They were lumped together with other diplorables

So you can perhaps imagine their suprise when the Pharisees found Jesus sitting down for supper with these guys. I mean it was bad enough bumping into one in the market place, but mealing with these sort was beyond the ability of any self-respecting Pharisee to imagine.

like prostitutes

When the Pharisees wanted to describe the lowest of the low

They called people

Tax Collectors and Sinners

A Sinner

Hopelessly irreligious man

A man who cared nothing for God

A man who had no concern for the law.

So our theme this morning in our sermon is a gospel for deplorables and despicables. And if you remember the context: Mark has been stitching together these three stories of the leper, the cripple, and the tax collector to illustrate sin— what sin is and what sin does to people. Like the leper sin makes us dirty. LIke the cripple sin makes us spiritual cripples, disabled in terms of meaningful righteousness, and like tax collectors, sin makes us despicable. Sin doth make tax collectors of us all. And so the question facing us in our text this morning is this: How does Jesus treat people like us?

The lepers may have been dirty on the outside

But, as far as the Pharisees were concerned, these men were dirty all the way down to the bottom of their money grubbing hearts.

It goes without saying

Table fellowship with such wretches was absolutely forbidden

It was bad enough to bump into one at the market place

But to sit down with one at your table or his

That was a step beyond ability of any self respecting pharisee to imagine.

To find Jesus calling one to be his disciple

All this begs the Question

Just exactly how does Jesus treat sinners?

Remember the context

Leper

Cripple

Taxman

Once again We see Him Seeking Us with Words

Out Jesus goes again into a world of darkness, searching for the last, the lost, and the least. And as he searches, do you notice what he is doing? Once again, he is teaching. He is preaching and proclaiming truth to people. He preaching the Truth of God to the souls of men. This is how he searches for people. If you are to be found by Jesus, it will invariably be before an open Bible— and very often before a preached one!

Searching

1 Peter 1:23–25 NASB95

23 for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God. 24 For, “All flesh is like grass, And all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, And the flower falls off, 25 But the word of the Lord endures forever.” And this is the word which was preached to you.

Last

Lost

Least

As he searches notice what he is doing

Once again

He is teaching

He is preaching and proclaiming Truth

The Truth of God

To the souls of men

This is how he searches

If you are to be found by Jesus

It will almost be kneeling or sitting before

An open Bible

And very often a preached one.

He Calls Us With Power

So here is Jesus, the man fisher, walking down a dusty road beside the sea of Galilee. He is raising his voice teaching all with ears to hear. Over to the right, beside the road sits Levi. His mother called Him Matthew, which means gift of God. That’s what his mother thought the day he was born. But in recent years, this young man had given his family nothing but shame.

So here is Jesus walking down a dusty road beside the sea of Galilee

Raising his voice and teaching all with ears to hear....

Over to the right, beside the road

Sits Levi, or Matthew

There sits Matthew counting his money. 1 for me. 9 for Rome. Jesus stops at his booth. At first he doesn’t even look up. What is jesus going to do? I imagine the Pharisees expected Jesus to curse him as a dog! I can almost hear them thinking, “We just saw him touch a leper. Surely that’s the bottom of the barrel. Surely he has to have some standards. Surely his grace can’t receive this man, counting his money in his tax booth.”

Matthew means gift of God

That’s what his mother thought the day He was born

But He had given His family nothing but shame in recent years.

There he is counting his God

Money

1 for me

9 for Rome

But the Pharisees miscalculate again. They have no concept of grace in their religion. Each person gets what they deserve. Nothing more. Nothing less. Their whole religion was based on the principle of man working his way up to God. They had no concept of God stooping to reach down to men. And here is Jesus, and he goes lower than the leper, reaching down, down, down into the fetid sewer of human lostness and unworthiness, he reaches down to the bottom amongst the pedophiles and the perverts, and there is Matthew, as his fingers rap themselves around his belt...

Jesus stops at his booth

What is he going to do?

I imagine the Pharisees expected Jesus to condemn this wretch and his worldly ways...

When he touched the leper

Jesus speaks to Him, “Follow me!” For years now, Matthew only had ears for the Almighty dollar. He didn’t care what the neighbors said. he didn’t care how much his mother wept and His father bowed his head in shame. His only calculus was “What’s in it for me!” Then suddenly there is Jesus, a Rabbi with warm smiling eyes that seemed to reach into his soul. Surely he saw the contrast between the uncommon glory of the Lord Christ the Son of God, and the common touch of Jesus, the Son of Mary?

The Pharisees probably thought he reached the bottom of the barrel.

But as we shall see this morning

These words of Jesus did for Levi what no man’s words had ever done for him before. They gave him the strength to escape. Jesus said to Levi, ‘Follow me.” And just like Mary’s little Lamb, Levi got up and followed Jesus forever.

Jesus had the capacity to

There was do you see power in the words of Jesus. The same kind of power that called Lazarus out of the tomb, that lightened the blind man’s darkness, that strengthened the lame man’s legs, that washed the Leprous man’s body. For Levi those words broke the power of cancelled sin. When the Capitol One Credit card advert came on TV and the voice said, ‘What’s in your wallet!” Levi’s kids no longer quipped, “Daddy’s heart!”

The Theological term for this is effectual calling: I love the way our catechism describes it:

The Westminster Confession of Faith: Edinburgh Edition The Shorter Catechism

Q. 31. What is effectual calling?

A. Effectual calling is the work of God’s Spirit,t whereby, convincing us of our sin and misery,v enlightening our minds in the knowledge of Christ,w and renewing our wills,x he doth persuade and enable us to embrace Jesus Christ, freely offered to us in the gospel.y

Levi is a new man. He is walking away not just from all the things he ever owned— He is walking away from all the things that ever owned him.’

The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Volume 8: Matthew, Mark, Luke 2. Eating with Sinners (2:13–17)

There was much at stake for Levi in accepting Jesus’ challenge. Fishermen could easily go back to fishing (as some of the disciples did after Jesus’ crucifixion), but for Levi there would be little possibility of his returning to his occupation. Tax collector jobs were greatly sought after as a sure way to get rich quickly.

He always does

Reach down, lower, and deeper

into the sewer of human

lostness

unworthiness

Levi, Matthew the Tax Collector was in his sights

He had long before lost His soul to money...

He was deaf to the cries of family

His mothers tears meant nothing to him

His father’s broken heart couldn’t move him

His Rabbis rebuke meant even less.

Then he met Jesus

Have you had that experience? Have you felt the power of the call of Christ? Everyone who hears the voice of Christ hears the call of Christ. But this kind of call is different. It gives what it commands. It calls us to co me, and it makes us willing, as the Psalmist says,

A Jewish man

with warm, smiling eyes that seemed to reach down into the very depths of the soul...

with the common touch of an uncommon glory

With a voice that seemed to wrap itself around a slumbering conscience

Psalm 110:3 KJV 1900

3 Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness From the womb of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth.

and bring dead things back to life.

Jesus called him

And he got up

Psalm 110:3 ESV

3 Your people will offer themselves freely on the day of your power, in holy garments; from the womb of the morning, the dew of your youth will be yours.

Left his sinful preoccupations behind

And followed Jesus

There was much at stake for Levi in accepting Jesus’ challenge. Fishermen could easily go back to fishing (as some of the disciples did after Jesus’ crucifixion), but for Levi there would be little possibility of his returning to his occupation. Tax collector jobs were greatly sought after as a sure way to get rich quickly.

Have you had Lydia’s experience?

Walter W. Wessel, “Mark,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Matthew, Mark, Luke, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 8 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1984), 634.

Acts 16:13–14 ESV

13 And on the Sabbath day we went outside the gate to the riverside, where we supposed there was a place of prayer, and we sat down and spoke to the women who had come together. 14 One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul.

Have you had that experience?

He Treats Us Like a Friends

Mark 2:15–16 ESV

15 And as he reclined at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners were reclining with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. 16 And the scribes of the Pharisees, when they saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, said to his disciples, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?”

He Treats Us Like a Friends

Evidently Jesus had made quite the impact among the tax collecting community in Galilee. Mark tells us there were many who followed him. Jesus honors them with his presence at the table: When you sat at table with people in Jesus’ day, you made a statement: These are my kind of people. I am one of them. They are one with me. They are my friends.

No there is no doubt Moses is unique in his place in redemptive history. But he is not unique in the way God treated him...

Exodus 33:11 ESV

11 Thus the Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. When Moses turned again into the camp, his assistant Joshua the son of Nun, a young man, would not depart from the tent.

E

This is the privilege God is extending to you and to me this morning:

Revelation 3:20 ESV

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 eat with him, and he with me.

Revelation 3:

He Heals us with Medicine

Mark 2:16–17 ESV

16 And the scribes of the Pharisees, when they saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, said to his disciples, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?” 17 And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”

This verse is a double edged sword. For those who feel the weight of sin, who feel themselves sick with a virus of wickedness that has wrapped itself around the very roots of their soul, Jesus says, I have come for you. I have come to call you. I have come to heal you.

But to those who are righteous— that is to say, for those who regard themselves as good, clean living people. Not perfect mind you, but in no need of saving. No I can get along very well by myself, thank you very much, they say. Jesus says to them, I have no word for you. I have no call for you. I only have a voice to call sinners. You have no need of me, and I have no call for you.

He is no friend of self-righteousness.

Introduction

The system consisted of two catagories of taxes.2

First, there were stated taxes:

Poll Tax

One denarius

One days pay/year

Every man 14-65

Every woman 12-65

Taxed for the privilege of being alive!

Ground tax

1/10 of all grain

1/5 of all wine

Taxation on Fish

Very possibly this is what Levi’s tax booth was involved in exacting. Likely Jesus’ disciples knew Levi well, and probably hated him to boot.

Income Tax

1% of one’s annual income

In these stated taxes there was not much room for extortion.

But in the second area of taxes, duties,

Taxed for

using roads

Docking in harbors

Sales Tax on various items

Import/Export duties

even taxed for the number of wheels on your cart

And then to see him sitting down to meal with a whole host of his friends.

Had he lost his mind?