Matthew 9 9-13 2005

Pentecost 3

Graduation

Matthew 9: 9-13

June 5, 2005

“Graduation Day is Every Day”

           Beside a small cottage, located on a big beautiful lake up north, there was a small hill. On warm summer days, children often gathered there to play a game. The game was called “King of the Hill”. Perhaps you remember playing a similar game. The object of the game was to climb to the top of the hill and stay on top by keeping everybody else from climbing to the top and throwing you off. Of course it was always the older, biggest kids that seemed to stay on top, although there were times when the younger ones managed to catch the older kids off guard, and thus to get on top of the hill for a short time.  No matter, old and young, big and strong, they all liked playing the game, “The King of the Hill.”

            Today, our eighth graders are graduating. In a way they are the kings of the hill. They are3 on top. But do you remember when you were younger, how about that first day of kindergarten? You may remember it as being a scary time. You didn’t know what to expect. You didn’t know if you would be able to do the work. Then there was the thought of being around all those big kids. But everything turned out all right. Then graduation day came, time to enter second grade, a whole new class room and a new teacher. Some of the same fears came back – what to expect, will I be able to do the work and what about all the big kids. Then you graduated again as you entered sixth grade, the same fears came back but some how you knew that you would make it.

            Each time you entered a new grade it was like starring up at a big new hill with someone waiting at the top to throw you off. But eventually you got to the top of the hill.

            For Matthew, the day he heard Jesus voice, the day he got up and followed Jesus, was a graduation day. After all graduation means the end of one thing and the beginning of another- just as our eight graders our ending their time here at Immanuel Lutheran School and they prepare to begin high school. When Matthew followed Jesus he indeed was graduating. He was graduating from a life of sin and the world of corrupt tax collectors and beginning his life anew in the grace of God’s forgiveness, found only in the foot steps of Jesus Christ.

            When Jesus came to Matthew he was at the bottom of the hill of life. It is where sinners find themselves in the sight of God. Because of sin we do not know God; we do not know how to please Him. At the bottom of that Hill we stare up at God, knowing that He truly is the King of the hill, greater and stronger then we ever could be. As silly sinners, we continually try to throw God off the Hill, and pretend that we are king instead. We do this as we forget that He is the only king, and consider ourselves greater than He is. We do this as we, being self-centered, run around the hill thinking that we should be on top, and that we are able to throw God off. Sometimes we do it by finding a new hill, playing by ourselves, and standing on top like a king…but we deceive ourselves. 

            Sin is not silly. Being at the bottom of the hill, in this life, is not a game. It is not the way God intended it to be. We were created to be on top of the hill in this world, to rule over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the animals on the ground. We were to be the kings of the hill in this world…to rule it as we are ruled by God. Instead we were tempted by Satan to rule the hill that God alone stands on. As a result, we were thrown down. And in this world, Satan occupied the position that was supposed to be ours.

            Because of God’s love for us, He sent His Son Jesus Christ to our world, to be at the bottom of the hill with us. He came to lead us back to the top pf the hill with him. To do this Jesus became like on of us. Even though He was almighty God, He emptied Himself and became the worst of sinners. He allowed Himself to be thrown to the pit of death and hell itself through His crucifixion and death. Then, because He was God, through his death, He overcame Satan and threw Him down from the hill that was rightfully ours. By faith in Jesus, He leads us back to the top. This is what is meant when Jesus called Matthew to follow Him as our Gospel lesson tells us.  As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector's booth. "Follow me," he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him. 10 While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew's house, many tax collectors and "sinners" came and ate with him and his disciples.

            This is what He means when He calls is to follow Him. He calls on us to believe that He died for us, that He is our Savior. He leads us back to the top of the hill with Him.     

             Matthew understood his need as a sinner. We need to understand our own need, to leave our old life of sin and unfaithfulness behind and follow Jesus to new and eternal life. What did Matthew expect from this new life, from this following of Jesus? We are not told. We can surmise that he got some things that he didn’t expect, things that he didn’t necessarily want. And finally He got more than he could ever ask for.

            On that first day, when Matthew followed Jesus, he graduated, leaving something behind and beginning something new. For Christians, everyday is graduation day. Every day we begin by leaving our sinful lives behind. We do this by confessing our sin to God, expressing our unworthiness to him, begging Him for mercy. Everyday we begin anew as we hear our Saviors voice call out to us saying, ‘Follow Me.” As we hear his voice we find comfort knowing that our sins are truly forgiven. This gives us peace, knowing that God is for us and with us and not against us. Now this doesn’t mean that our lives will be filled with peaceful moments. On the contrary, our lives in this world are anything but peaceful. We have trouble of all kinds and more than we can count. Often, it is not what we bargained for, not what we expected, not what we want. But in the end we will find that we are given more than we could ever ask for.

            Today is graduation day, leaving the old behind and beginning something new. It is a day filled with expectation, anticipation and perhaps even a little fear. Our eight graders are Kings of the Hill here at Immanuel. But in a few short months they will find themselves as freshman in High School, not knowing what to expect or what will be expected of them. In a way they will feel like they are on the bottom of the hill again. Two things are for sure. Some days will be good and some days will be hard. As it is for all of us in this life, you will sometimes find yourself being thrown down the hill. You will find yourself at the bottom. Hold fast to Jesus as He calls you to, “follow me.” Remember that when you fail him and fall back down the hill, He will be there with you. Nothing can change the fact that you are God’s beloved child. When that time comes, recognize your need, turn again from sin and unbelief, and follow Jesus. Because, with God, everyday is graduation day.