The Call of Matthew The Sinner
Notes
Transcript
9 As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax office, and he said to him, “Follow me,” and he got up and followed him.
10 While he was reclining at the table in the house, many tax collectors and sinners came to eat with Jesus and his disciples.
11 When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
12 Now when he heard this, he said, “It is not those who are well who need a doctor, but those who are sick.
13 Go and learn what this means: I desire mercy and not sacrifice. For I didn’t come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
I. Jesus didn’t see His ministry as incremental, but continual.
I. Jesus didn’t see His ministry as incremental, but continual.
9 As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax office, and he said to him, “Follow me,” and he got up and followed him.
The essence of the christian life is not to live from ministry event to ministry event, but rather to see the events of the everyday as our ministry.
The essence of the christian life is not to live from ministry event to ministry event, but rather to see the events of the everyday as our ministry.
II. Jesus is not concerned with where you’ve been, but what He is calling you into.
II. Jesus is not concerned with where you’ve been, but what He is calling you into.
Matthew was a tax collector -
Role of Tax Collectors
Tax collectors, also known as publicans (publicanus), charged tolls and taxes on behalf of the Roman government. These private government subcontractors would tax travelers who were carrying merchandise between properties or delivering goods along certain well-defined roads. Rome preferred to hire locals who were familiar with a region’s inhabitants, land, and roads. Some tax agents were responsible for such large territories that they functioned as subcontractors, hiring their own employees to collect the taxes. Zacchaeus seems to fit this category, as he is described as a “chief” tax collector (Luke 19:2–10).
Tax collectors earned a profit by demanding a higher tax from the people than they had prepaid to the Roman government. This system led to widespread greed and corruption. The tax-collecting profession was saturated with unscrupulous people who overtaxed others to maximize their personal gain. According to Adams, “The toll-collectors were in a profession that was open to dishonesty and oppression of their neighbor” (Adams, The Sinner in Luke). Since the Jews considered themselves victims of Roman oppression, Jewish tax collectors who overtaxed their fellow countrymen were especially despised. Jews viewed such favor for Rome as betrayal and equal to treason against God. Rabbinic sources consistently align Jewish tax collectors with robbers.
Miller, J. E. (2016). Tax Collector. In J. D. Barry, D. Bomar, D. R. Brown, R. Klippenstein, D. Mangum, C. Sinclair Wolcott, … W. Widder (Eds.), The Lexham Bible Dictionary. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.
A. Matthew was not religious , righteous, or reputable
A. Matthew was not religious , righteous, or reputable
46 For if you love those who love you, what reward will you have? Don’t even the tax collectors do the same?
19 The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.”
23 When he entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him as he was teaching and said, “By what authority are you doing these things? Who gave you this authority?”
32 For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you didn’t believe him. Tax collectors and prostitutes did believe him; but you, when you saw it, didn’t even change your minds then and believe him.
1 All the tax collectors and sinners were approaching to listen to him.
B. Matthew was ready, repentant, and reconciled
B. Matthew was ready, repentant, and reconciled
Application: God
III. The pharisees were only concerned with the external
III. The pharisees were only concerned with the external
A. The Pharisees were religious, (self)righteous, and reputable.
A. The Pharisees were religious, (self)righteous, and reputable.
B. The Pharisees were not ready, repentant, or reconciled
B. The Pharisees were not ready, repentant, or reconciled
IV. Jesus reveals the nature of His ministry
IV. Jesus reveals the nature of His ministry
A. Jesus revealed the nature of His ministry by the company he kept.
A. Jesus revealed the nature of His ministry by the company he kept.
B. Jesus revealed the nature of His ministry by the proclamations He spoke.
B. Jesus revealed the nature of His ministry by the proclamations He spoke.
V. Jesus rebukes the Pharisees response to His ministry.
V. Jesus rebukes the Pharisees response to His ministry.
11 When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
12 Now when he heard this, he said, “It is not those who are well who need a doctor, but those who are sick.
13 Go and learn what this means: I desire mercy and not sacrifice. For I didn’t come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
A. “ Go and Learn”
A. “ Go and Learn”
This was a common admonition that was given to students by their instructing rabbi. It’s mere usage would have been offensive to the Pharisees. The learned were being told they were still in need of knowledge and understanding.
B. “I Desire Mercy And Not Sacrifice”
B. “I Desire Mercy And Not Sacrifice”
6 For I desire faithful love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.
Jesus was quoting from Hosea. By using this verse Jesus was associating the pharisee with a time when the nation of Israel had fallen into apostasy. They had forgotten the character and nature of God. It wasn’t as if God was saying that the sacrifices were not important, but rather that the purpose of sacrifice was to show God’s mercy, compassion and forgiveness. The Pharisees may have held to the law, but they had forgotten the laws purpose to show the mercy and love of God. The law was to show us our need for the great physician to heal the sickness of our sin.
Sometimes it’s painful to receive the news that we are sick, but without this recognition we will not seek out the savior’s healing. Knowing the need should create within us a desire for the healer to come and make us well - “Go and Learn”
Sometimes it’s painful to receive the news that we are sick, but without this recognition we will not seek out the savior’s healing. Knowing the need should create within us a desire for the healer to come and make us well - “Go and Learn”
Application:
Maybe your hear today and you feel like Jesus can’t use you because of your past failures, addictions, or sin. Don’t believe that lie. Remember that Jesus came to heal you from these things and to call you into service. Your sins have been paid for through the cross and overcome. Like Matthew’s call, Jesus is not as concerned about where you been as He is where He is taking you.
-or-
Maybe your here today and if your honest, you’ve been more like the pharisees the preaching of the word has been offensive to you. You have felt the pain of hearing the news that you need to “Go and Learn” and instead of recognizing your need, you have become angry or upset and have held tightly to your self-righteousness instead of allowing the savior to come and heal you and call you into a greater purpose than you have ever known.
Whatever it is that God is trying to do in your life, I plead with you to allow Him to have his way.