Unrecognized Mission
Unrecognized Authority: Matt 8-10 • Sermon • Submitted
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· 18 viewsJesus came to call sinners and forgive sins.
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If you have your Bibles, please open them to Matthew 9 (and if you don’t have your Bibles tonight, be sure to bring them)
and as you do, let me remind you where we have been so far.
As we have been studying Matthew, we have seen Jesus authority put on display through many mighty works…
But there is an interesting structure to how Matthew has organized these Miracles
We saw three miracles that took place through Matt 8:1-17. And by the end of these miracles, Jesus’s disciples begin to recognize Jesus as a healer
After those miracles then there was a short break from the healings as Jesus gives a discourse, or teaching, on discipleship.
Following Jesus discourse, we saw three more miracles that took place through Matt 8:23-9:8… but this time, miracles only produced confusion and offence as to Jesus’ identity.
But in last week’s miracle, Jesus revealed himself to be the one who has the authority to forgive sins, thus fully revealing that he is God.
and this brings us to tonight’s text which is another discourse on discipleship, only this time Jesus’ discourse adds to the people’s confusion and offence regarding Jesus’ authority.
9 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.
10 And as Jesus reclined at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and his disciples. 11 And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” 12 But when he heard it, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 13 Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”
Let’s pray
Intro: The Karate Kid
Intro: The Karate Kid
I wonder, how many have you ever have seen The Karate Kid?
came out in 1984 - the movie is older than I am - and I hear it’s a classic.... but I have never seen it before
There is scene in the movie that’s quite well known:
After getting beat up by a group of kids at his school, Daniel begins learning Karate from a man named Mr Miyagi.
Now Mr Miyagi agrees to teach Daniel karate, but as his training begins Daniel is instructed by Miyagi to do various chores:
chores like painting the fence, paining the house, and waxing cars, and sanding the floors
But after a while of doing all these chores, Daniel gets impatient with Miyagi because Miyagi has been more interested in Daniel doing his chores than teaching him Karate…
But what Daniel doesn’t recognize, is that all the chores that Mioyagi has been having him do have been teaching him various motions that will become vital in order for Daniel to learn karate…
This is very similar to what Jesus has been doing with his disciples up until this point in Matthew.
Jesus began by doing various healings… but when the crowds began to come to Jesus for healing, he leaves them. And he did this, remember, because Jesus did not come to simply heal people of their outward sickness.
And as he was leaving the crowds, Jesus gave his first discourse on discipleship, denying a particular man who would have been very reputable in the community and would have been viewed as a great addition to Jesus’ team of disciples.
19 And a scribe came up and said to him, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” 20 And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.”
Remember, this scribe would have been like what we think of as a pastor in our day, because the scribe would have been tasked with teaching the Scriptures to the people of Israel, which was one of the most well respected positions in Jewish society.
And moving on from this scene Jesus does three more miracles that further demonstrate the scope of his authority over all creation:
Jesus calmed the wind and the seas that threatened the lives of all who were in the boat with Jesus
He cast out a legion of demons that threatened all of the people who would have come near to the men who were possessed by the demons
And then after returning back to his home that he departed from after the first set of miracles, we saw Jesus forgive a paralytic who came to him expecting to be healed. And Jesus then demonstrated his authority to forgive the man of his sins (which is something that can’t be seen) by then healing him of his paralysis (something that everyone could see clearly).
And after having forgiven this sinner, Jesus really shocks everyone by calling an unlikely disciple:
9 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.
Now the nuances of what is happening here in this verse may be missed by most modern readers who don’t now the economic and social structures that existed during the time of the NT.
So let point out what we all should notice from this first verse. Notice what Matthew’s job is… his is a tax collector.
This is important to note, because tax collectors were viewed by other Jews as the scum of the earth.
Now, while a tax collector may not sound that bad to us, to any Jew, a tax collector would have been viewed as a traitor to their country.
Let me put this occupation in a modern perspective for us:
How many of you know what nations fought in the American Revolutionary War?
It was between Britain… and American colonies
And the war started because Britten was taxing the Colonies who didn’t have proper representation…
With this in mind, can you imagine what it would be like if America was occupied and controlled by Britain again?
American’s would lose their minds…
And can you imagine how fellow Americans would view other Americans who might begin working for Britain by collecting American tax dollars in order to pay Britain?
Well if you can imagine that scene, then you can understand why tax collectors were hated in the NT
Israel - the people of God - is under Roman occupation
And to make matters worse… Romans, were pagans
And so consider this Jewish tax collector named Matthew
How bad must his reputation been among his fellow Israelites in order for him to have willingly betray his people to work for the Romans?
Matthew would have been hated and despised by all the Jews because of his occupation
With all this in mind, consider what is happening here in this scene:
9 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.
1. Jesus calls people who are unworthy to follow him.
1. Jesus calls people who are unworthy to follow him.
Notice it wasn’t Matthew who decided to follow Jesus at first,
Rather it was Jesus who called Matthew. And after Jesus called him, Matthew obeyed the voice of Jesus.
much like the wind and the sea…
or the demons who were cast out with a word
or the paralysis that left at Jesus command…
So too at Jesus’ effectual call, Matthew hears Jesus’ voice and he obeys!
this is what happens every time the people of God hear the call of Jesus
27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.
Matthew, this unworthy man who was the scum of society, heard the voice of his shepherd. And he followed Jesus
Jesus always calls unworthy people to follow him…
Furthermore, notice that it wasn’t Matthew who followed Jesus because he considered himself worthy to be near him…
Again compare the difference between this discourse on discipleship to that of the one we looked at earlier in Matthew 8
19 And a scribe came up and said to him, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.”
Here this Scribe thought himself to be a good fit for Jesus team of disciples…
This is how society always has worked:
People gather with those who might increase their good reputation while they reject those who might ruin their reputation
This is something most of you likely know full and well as cliques in schools and even here in YG are formed around this very principle
All the popular students group together because they want to play off of each other’s popularity… but the will avoid being seen with someone who might make them look bad and lose their popularity
So in a similar approach the scribe goes near Jesus who is demonstrated that he has great authority as both a teacher and a healer… But Jesus will show the scribe that he has no idea what it means to follow Jesus.
So too, this scribe comes to Jesus expecting to be included in Jesus’ band of disciples… but that likely wasn’t the case
But Matthew on the other hand, is an unlikely candidate to be a follower of Jesus in the eyes of people. Because Matthew will surely bring reproach upon Jesus in the eyes of all who see this motley crew of fishermen and tax collectors. Yet this does not matter to Jesus. For Jesus has enough honor in himself to call sinners near to himself so that they might might receive honor from Jesus.
Students: if you feel unworthy to be Jesus’ disciples because of the shame of your sin… of the family that you come from… or lowly position among your peers:
then consider Matthew the tax collector
And not only him, but take Paul!
Paul was was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent of Jesus
Listen to the reputation he had among other Christians:
10 Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” And he said, “Here I am, Lord.” 11 And the Lord said to him, “Rise and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul, for behold, he is praying, 12 and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight.” 13 But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints at Jerusalem. 14 And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on your name.” 15 But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel.
Oh that we would recognize the likes of who Jesus calls and see that his mercy in enough for the lowliest of people!
15 The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. 16 But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life.
Let’s continue in Matthew:
10 And as Jesus reclined at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and his disciples. 11 And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
Notice, it’s not just Matthew who Jesus is near…
He is with many tax collectors and sinners… all of whom no well respected Jew would ever spend much time with.
And everyone sees what is happening:
11 And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
Notice the surprise of the Pharisees upon seeing Jesus with these unlikely people:
for the Jews knew that no obedient Jew gathers with the likes of these sinners.
For the Scriptures teach:
1 Blessed is the man
who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
Notice the progression:
walks
stands
sits
each one increases in it’s intimacy…
And what is Jesus doing?
Jesus is sitting at the table with sinners eating with them
Jesus is putting himself in close proximity to these sinners, and even is seen sharing an intimate meal with them all… And the Pharisees have a question about it…And why Jesus eating with them?
Look at what Jesus says:
12 But when he heard it, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 13 Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”
Why has Jesus called near to these tax collectors and sinners?
2. Jesus called an unlikely disciple to reveal his unrecognized mission.
2. Jesus called an unlikely disciple to reveal his unrecognized mission.
It is Jesus’ mission deal with sinners sins…
But the Pharisees don’t recognize this
In fact, the Jews were expecting the Messiah to come to overthrow Rome such that Israel would no longer be under Roman occupation…
The Jews expected the Messiah to do what God had done for them back in the book of Exodus when the Israelites were under the oppressive Pharoah…
Do you remember what God did?
He delivered the Israelites from their oppressors…
The Israelites expected Jesus to do the same thing if he was in fact the Messiah
But instead of overthrowing Rome… now Jesus is calling these tax collectors who work for Rome…
We are meant to ask: WHAT IS GOING ON AND WHY IS JESUS DOING THIS
Well, Jesus explains what he is doing by comparing these sinners to those who are sick…
12 But when he heard it, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.
Now consider this for a moment:
Do healthy people go to the ER
No, rather it people with sick and broken bodies that go to the doctor in order to be helped!
But notice, are there any in tonight’s Scripture who are sick… no… but what we do have is the sinners who need to be saved
And last week, in the text prior to tonight’s, Jesus revealed himself to be more than a healing physician…
6 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.” 7 And he rose and went home.
Jesus has shown himself to be more than a physician or healer, but Jesus is the forgiver and savior of sinners…
And so Jesus, as the forgiving physician reveals that he has come for those who are sick… (or in other words he came for those who have sinned)
Jesus contines:
13 Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”
Here is Jesus’ mission...
Jesus came to call sinners.
And like the very first miracle that we saw with the leper…
when Jesus touched the leper, Jesus doe not become unclean, rather the leper becomes clean
So too with sinners: When Jesus calls sinners, Jesus does not become defiled by their sins, rather, Jesus’ sinless record is credited towards the sinner.
Last week when Jesus forgave a sinner, he revealed his authority
This week, when Jesus called a sinner, he revealed his mission.
But Jesus also shows us something else:
Who were these Pharisees?
well they were learned men who were well studied with the OT Scripture
They knew the commandments of God that filled the OT because they wanted to keep the commandments of God that filled the OT
And they wanted to keep the commandments of God so that they could be in right standing with God…
But in all their knowledge of the Scriptures… and in all their desire to be in right standing with God… they proved themselves to not even know God. For they did not recognize Jesus’ authority, or his mission.
Look again at what Jesus said to them:
13 Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”
To these "learned” men who knew the Scriptures… Jesus tells the to learn what the Scripture mean:
and since Jesus tells them to learn what it means, and so let us do the same:
Jesus is quoting from the OT prophet Hosea
And so let’s look at the context of what Jesus is quoting from:
Let’s take it a verse at a time:
4 What shall I do with you, O Ephraim?
What shall I do with you, O Judah?
Your love is like a morning cloud,
like the dew that goes early away.
Ephraim and Judah are just other names in the OT that refer to the people of Israel
Your love is like a morning cloud,
like the dew that goes early away
Consider this on a hot day…
When you wake up on a hot summer day and there are clouds in the sky, do they usually stick around?
Or when you wake up in the morning, the grass is usually wet with dew, but as the day heats up the grass dries quickly…
So to is the love of God’s people....
So listen to the consequence for the people’s lack of love for God:
5 Therefore I have hewn them by the prophets;
I have slain them by the words of my mouth,
and my judgment goes forth as the light.
Hewn, means to be cut… and the prophets were the people who delivered the message of warning to the rebellious Israel
Paralleled to this line is the next, where they will be slain by the words of God’s mouth…
And he does so in righteous judgment against the Israel because they have not loved God
And here is the familiar verse:
6 For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice,
the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.
So while the people of God give offerings in sacrifice and they are obeying God outwardly, they do so with no love of God or knowledge of him…
With this in mind consider what Jesus is saying:
13 Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”
He is calling these religious Pharisees out for the same sin as those Israelites had back in Hosea’s
Though they keep commands of God externally though sacrifice and offering,
They have no knowledge of God and no love for God…
And so Jesus tells these “learned” men to go and learn something new. And this is what we should learn as well:
3. Those who are righteous by their works show themselves to be outside of those who Jesus came for.
3. Those who are righteous by their works show themselves to be outside of those who Jesus came for.
When I was your guy’s age, I knew nothing of grace. But I thought that in order to be loved by God, I had to be good, do good, and maintain my own goodness…
How I wish I would known of God’s steadfast love and mercy.
And so students learn this…
you are sinners
every one of you
And not a single one of you, nor any youth staff, nor myself is good
But this is what makes the gospel of Jesus Christ such good news:
Jesus came to call sinners
he came to forgive sinners
and he came to save sinners.
So learn this student:
22 The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
his mercies never come to an end;
23 they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.