Don't Overlook the Obvious
Notes
Transcript
INTRODUCTION
INTRODUCTION
The team around Jesus is still being crafted, we now find Jesus calling Matthew to be his disciple. It is a simple calling, in passing by Matthew, we see him extend an invitation to him. It is intriguing to see that Matthew simply leaves the tax collecting business and follows after Jesus.
The scene then moves to Matthew’s house where a huge gathering of other tax collectors and sinners are found feasting with the Lord.
I am positive that if Jesus was ministering on the earth today, most would be amazed at where he would be found. The Jesus we find in the Bible is probably not the same Jesus we try to offer people today in our segregated social religious settings. Jesus always ministered to the sinner before expecting the sinner to change.
We seemingly get the cart before the horse. It seems many today want the sinner to come to the church all cleaned up, then and only then will we open up the gospel to them. Jesus went to them, he ate with them, he sat with them, and he won them.
I find that an amazing fact, he won them.
When you're sick, you want the right doctor.
You want a cardiac surgeon, not an oral surgeon, doing your heart bypass.
You want an oncologist, not an ophthalmologist, planning your cancer treatment.
On the other hand, if you don't have a specific disease, you don't need to see that kind of doctor. Why see a cardiologist if your heart is good? Why see an ophthalmologist if your eyesight is 20/20?
And if you are not a sinner, why do you need the sin-doctor?
We do not need to overlook the obvious tonight and that’s what I want to look at for a little while this evening…
Notice first of all:
THE CALL
THE CALL
9 And as Jesus passed forth from thence, he saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he saith unto him, Follow me. And he arose, and followed him.
Matthew was a tax collector. In his day, that was far worse than working for the IRS.
Tax collectors were viewed as collaborators with the enemy, similar to our attitude toward someone sending money to terrorist groups.
He collected taxes for the Romans. The Romans ruled over the people. The Romans kept the land under the iron foot of their legions.
They were the enemy, and Matthew was collecting taxes for them. On top of that, many tax collectors overcharged the people so that they could make a handsome profit.
Being a publican, or tax collector, the synagogue was closed to him, but no doubt he had often seen Jesus elsewhere.
Matthew had probably heard Him speak, seen His miracles, witnessed His grace and love, and longed to be set free from his chains so that he could follow such a Master. Certainly he knew Peter, James, John, and the other fishermen and shipowners of Capernaum, but there was no way such respected men would associate with him.
BUT!
Suddenly Heaven opened up before Matthew. Jesus approached his toll booth and said: “Follow me”! That was all. There were no preliminaries, no prolonged appeals, no invitation to think it over. Jesus knew His man, read his heart, understood his longings, and issued His challenge. Glory filled Matthew’s soul “and he arose, and followed him.” That was that. As a result we have in our hands today the Gospel that bears his name.
Spurgeon said, “Matthew had always been busy taking, but he was called to a work that was essentially giving.”
The Lord can take nothing and make something worthwhile out of it! When we come face-to-face with Jesus, things will change, and you’ll never be the same!
THE CROWD
THE CROWD
10 And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples.
Matthew waisted no time after following Christ…He showed his love for the Lord and his love for the lost right here.
The converted tax collector arranged a party and invited his former friends—those classified by the Pharisees as “publicans and sinners”—to come and meet his new Master and His friends.
What a sensible thing to do! We ought to follow his example. Such parties would soon put distance between them and undesirable companions as well as give former friends the opportunity to become followers of Jesus too.
The great missionary C. T. Studd once wrote, “Some want to live within the sound of Church or Chapel bell; I want to run a rescue shop within a yard of hell.” I think Jesus would have liked that missionary motto, for it seems to be the precise missionary model he employs.
The word “sinners” occurs three times in these four verses.
Jesus is running a rescue shop one foot away from Matthew’s dinner table.
He is at a tax collector’s house eating with tax collectors and sinners. He is reclining and eating with the outcasts, with those who were known for obviously breaking the moral law of God...
15 This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.
Sinners! Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners!
Yes, Jesus was a teacher.
Yes, he was a miracle-worker.
Yes, he was a King.
Yes, he was the perfect moral example of how we should live our lives.
But if that were all he was, there would be no hope for us fallen creatures suffering from a fatal disease, dying physically and spiritually from the plague of sin.
Jesus was and is a Savior for sinners. He is a Savior who so loved us that he came down to give us the forgiveness of our sins!
THE CRITICS
THE CRITICS
11 And when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto his disciples, Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners?
Here, we see the critics asking a question...
The answer to this question was simple: Because Jesus is the friend of sinners.
8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
These critics resented Jesus Christ because He unmasked their pride and self- righteousness.
They not only resented Him because He opposed their religion, but also because He captured the fascination of the people.
Envy and jealousy filled their hearts. He threatened their system of self-righteousness, which was opposed to God's system of faith in the righteousness of Christ.
It’s interesting that it was the religious people that were Jesus’ critics.
I’m just going to be honest with you tonight, in my life, the only trouble I’ve ever had was from religious people.
Study your Bibles this week…Notice, EVERY time there was opposition to Jesus and His disciples…It’s from a religious person.
THE CORRECTION
THE CORRECTION
12 But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick.
13 But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
This was the principle that the criticizing Pharisees did not understand.
“…They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick.”
The Pharisees were like doctors who wanted to avoid all contact with sick people.
If a doctor only had patients who enjoyed good health, what kind of doctor would he be?
Of course they wished that sick people would become healthy, but they wouldn’t risk getting infected themselves.
Spurgeon wrote, “Lord, grant that if ever I am found in the company of sinners, it may be with the design of healing them, and may I never become myself infected with their disease!”
The Lord tells them… “Go ye and learn,”
It’s interesting to note that this was a well-known statement the Pharisees would use when confronted with superficial knowledge.
His critics thought they knew so much about the law, and Jesus said, “Go ye and learn”
He gives them a clue in the last phrase, as it is a reference to Hosea 6:6.
The reference to Hosea was appropriate, for that book deals with spiritual adultery and harlotry.
The burden of the book grew out of the tragedy in Hosea’s family life, and the prophet’s task was to show Israel the heart of God, broken over their hardness and sin.
God was saying to Israel, “You bring Me sacrifices as though I had some need for them. What I want is to show you mercy.”
Jesus, talking to those who thought they were teachers, was saying, “Go and learn the heart of God. Then you will understand why I sit with publicans and sinners.” Summarizing His answer to the hypocritical Pharisees, the Lord said, “I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance”
CONCLUSION
CONCLUSION
Don’t overlook the obvious folks...
The Lord Jesus came into this world not to be served by the good, but to save the evil. He had come to call to repentance those who needed repentance, and not those who imagine that they are righteous and therefore need no repentance.
The Son of God came to save sinners, real sinners. He calls sinners to repentance.
The old song says it this way...
“Come, ye weary, heavy laden,
Bruised and mangled by the fall.
If you tarry ‘til you’re better,
You will never come at all.
Not the righteous, not the righteous,
Sinners Jesus came to call.”