Sermon Tone Analysis

The Lodestone

A lodestone is a naturally magnetized piece of the mineral magnetite.

They are naturally occurring magnets, which can attract iron.

The property of magnetism was first discovered in ancient times through lodestones.

Pieces of lodestone, suspended so they could turn, were the first magnetic compasses, and their importance to early navigation is indicated by the name lodestone, which in Middle English means "course stone" or "leading stone", from the now-obsolete meaning of lode as "journey, way"

Among the several wonders of the loadstone, this is not the least, that it will not draw gold nor pearl, but, despising these, it draws the iron to it, one of the most inferior metals: thus Christ leaves the angels, those noble spirits, the gold and the pearl, and He comes to poor sinful man, and draws him into His embraces.

- T. WATSON.

It is surprising to think about – a magnet is able to set the course of a ship but has no attraction to gold, silver, or pearls.

What an interesting comparison to Christ.

There is something about the Spirit of Christ in us that places a yearning for finding and rescuing those who are lost.

· Lost people matter to God, and so they must matter to us.

— Keith Wright

· Some wish to live within the sound of a chapel bell; I wish to run a rescue mission within a yard of hell.

— C.T. Studd

· The world is the field and the field is the world; and henceforth that country shall be my home where I can be most used in winning souls for Christ.

— Count Nicolaus Ludwig von Zinzendorf

· Would that God would make hell so real to us that we cannot rest; heaven so real that we must have men there, Christ so real that our supreme motive and aim shall be to make the Man of Sorrows the Man of Joy by the conversion to him of many.

— Hudson Taylor

· I cared not where or how I lived, or what hardships I went through, so that I could gain souls for Christ.

While I was asleep, I dreamed of these things, and when I awoke, the first thing I thought of was this great work.

- David Brainerd

What makes a church host a pumpkin patch, XA work a tailgate party, a family host a community group, a fire fighter take on the responsibility of a chaplain, or a teacher lead a student Bible study other than the hopes of reaching the lost?

The Lodestone for Jesus

Matthew’s call to serve Jesus also has something to say to each of His disciples.

In the 9th chapter of Matthew we find out about the call of Matthew and the party that Matthew throws to celebrate.

The Pharisees see what is going on and begin to gripe about it.

Jesus responds to them and reveals to us His ‘lodestone’.

When Jesus said “go and learn” it was like the teacher tapping on the chalkboard or raising their hand (for elementary).

The teacher is saying something – listen up!

This statement is important because He is tipping (Astros reference) His glove to let everyone know his campaign strategy.

Jesus will fulfill the Law by reaching out to sinners.

It is interesting that this is unusual to the Jewish religious leaders.

They wanted to follow religious law to the extreme.

Jesus would fulfill the Law and demonstrate grace and mercy to the world.

Being a follower of Jesus requires a willingness to extend a hand to those who are hurting.

So, What Does, “I Desire Mercy, not Sacrifice” Mean?

Clue #1 – The Person of Matthew

This statement by Jesus was made to the Pharisees but at a party given by Matthew.

By religious standards, Matthew was a poor selection to be a disciple.

Matthew exacted taxes for the Roman invaders.

The system of taxation lent itself to corruption, and tax collectors were notoriously rich and fanatically hated.

Not only did they fleece you; they worked for the hated oppressors the Romans, either directly or under a governed kingdom such as Herod ran.

Matthew would have heard the teaching of Jesus in the Capernaum area.

He would have seen the miracles of Jesus.

He would have been wondering about this amazing man everyone was talking about.

And then suddenly Jesus stood in front of him, and said, ‘Follow me’ (9).

Matthew did just that.

That is truly amazing—amazing that Jesus should bother about someone so universally despised and hated; amazing that Matthew should leave everything to follow this carpenter; amazing that Jesus had such authority that when he said to a businessman, ‘Follow me’, the man obeyed; and amazing the transformation in Matthew’s life that resulted.

We give Matthew credit for the first written records about Jesus.

Matthew would have been able to read and write and God used Him to record the story.

He can do the same with your gifts and mine if get up and follow him.

Matthew’s conversion deserved a party.

Matthew threw one, and Jesus was totally at home among a bunch of crooks who were Matthew’s friends and colleagues.

Unlike some church people in many parts of the world, Jesus was totally relaxed in the presence of ‘sinners’ and outsiders of every kind.

They loved to be with him.

He was so attractive, such good company.

Clue #2 – The Hypocritical Pharisees

The Pharisees were the religious elite of the Jewish culture.

They represented high church and the rules of the OT plus a bunch more they made up.

The Pharisees were shocked by the fact that Jesus would hang out with Matthew and his friends.

It was to the Pharisees that Jesus made the statement:

Jesus pointed out that they were perfect in following the rules, but their hearts didn’t care about mercy towards God’s people.

On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.

13 But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’

v For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Jesus pointed out that they were perfect in following the rules, but their hearts didn’t care about mercy towards God’s people.

In the OT there is a story about a prophet who didn’t have the heart of God.

His name was Jonah.

You probably have heard the story about Jonah staying in the stomach of a whale for 3 days and nights.

That was because he tried to get out of delivering a message to Ninevah that would have helped them through the mercy of God.

Eventually he tells the city that God is displeased and that they need to repent.

The city listens and does repent, but Jonah delivers the message and then sits outside the city to watch it get destroyed – a pretty good example of Law without mercy.

The city doesn’t get destroyed and Jonah gets mad.

The book of Jonah is the only book in the Bible that ends on a question from God, “Story of Jonah?

Basically, the Pharisees were just like Jonah, standing around complaining about Jesus hanging out with Matthew and his friends.

One Bible scholar, Dr. Michael Green writes:

But the Lord said, “You have been concerned about this plant, though you did not tend it or make it grow.

It sprang up overnight and died overnight.

11 And should I not have concern for the great city of Nineveh, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left—and also many animals?”

But the Lord said, “You have been concerned about this plant, though you did not tend it or make it grow.

It sprang up overnight and died overnight.

11 And should I not have concern for the great city of Nineveh, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left—and also many animals?”

But the Lord said, “You have been concerned about this plant, though you did not tend it or make it grow.

It sprang up overnight and died overnight.

11 And should I not have concern for the great city of Nineveh, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left—and also many animals?”

Basically, the Pharisees were just like Jonah, standing around complaining about Jesus hanging out with Matthew and his friends.

One Bible scholar, Dr. Michael Green writes:

The Pharisees choose to exclude themselves from the party.

Here we see among the Pharisees a tendency, which will reappear more strongly as the story unfolds, to judge Jesus rather than revel in the mercy he offers, and to pride themselves on their own fancied goodness instead of recognizing his.

The Pharisees could not tolerate the generosity of God to the paralysed man, to Matthew or to his crooked friends.

Those who think they are healthy do not need a doctor: ironic words.

There are, of course, not ‘healthy’ under God’s expert examination, but there are lots of people who think they are.

Such people do not see their need of a doctor, although they harbour germs of the same fatal disease of sin which they condemn in its cruder forms in others.

There is no room for the Pharisee spirit in the kingdom.

The word means ‘separated ones’, proud that they stand out from the crowd and are good people.

Such an attitude stinks in God’s nostrils.

The kingdom is a one-class society—for sinners only.[1]

So, to understand what Jesus means, we have 2 clues so far…the person of Matthew and the character of the Pharisees.

Putting the Clues Together

1. Matthew was a rough choice to be a disciple, but Jesus did choose him