Listen to this word and think about certain adjectives that come to mind, politician. Generally words such as: crooked, dishonest, corrupt and selfish come to mind. Our experiences have stamped politicians with a social stigma that simply causes us to believe that politicians cannot be trusted. In Jesus’ day the same stigma could be applied to tax collectors. To the Jews tax collectors were nothing more than scum. In our text we meet a Jew by the name of Matthew who is employed by the Roman IRS. Needless to say, Matthew was not well liked because his success was dependent upon taking advantage of his own people. His job was to collect taxes for the government and the income he earned could be greatly increased by extracting more taxes from the people than was actually owed. So you can see exactly why the tax collectors were hated. To make matters worse they were viewed as traitors because their job was to help the Romans and they were viewed as unclean because of their associations with gentiles. So naturally Jesus is going to raise quite a few eyebrows by calling Matthew to join the ranks of the disciples. As if that were not enough, Jesus will go to Matthew’s house and attend a party. At this party naturally there were other tax collectors and other social outcasts. This would prove to be just way too much for the Pharisees to deal with. Our text shows us that we need to be aware of the fact that there are many around us who are dying in their sins and what they need is not our judgment but a Savior. Jesus’ example shows us that our task is not to simply huddle with other Christians but to reach out to those who are outside the church.
I. When Jesus calls someone to follow Him it is not without sacrifice.
A. Everyone Jesus has called to follow Him up to this point has had to make a sacrifice, but none have made a sacrifice as huge as Matthew’s.
1. Matthew obviously had a prime location for collecting taxes. In fact his tax booth was more than likely located by the dock where ships would come in with their goods from across the lake.
2. Accepting the call to follow Jesus for Matthew would have involved leaving a lucrative position and a wealthy life-style.
3. At first glance this does not seem any different from the disciples that Jesus had already called. Simon Peter, Andrew, James and John parked their fishing boats and walked away from a well paying job.
4. These four guys we were introduced to last week did leave their careers behind to follow Jesus. However they could always go back to fishing if the ministry thing did not work out, in fact they apparently go back to fishing for a while following Jesus’ death on the cross.
5. In Matthew’s case everything was different. He obviously had a great spot and there were many eager young tax collectors who were ready to take his position. So if he walked away it was for good, there would be no turning back.
B. We need to realize that the decision to follow Jesus many times will involve some very painful choices.
1. When we are called to follow or obey God, do we have the same willingness to sacrifice as Matthew? Are we truly willing to drop everything and follow?
2. Matthew made no excuses when Jesus called him; he willingly left behind everything that would keep him from following Jesus.
3. Matthew’s obedience would obviously bring about a radical change in His life. He left behind his prestige, his wealth and security. This would be a change that involved moving way beyond his comfort zone.
4. Like Matthew we must be willing to leave behind those things that could hinder us in following Jesus.
II. Jesus can use even those who are viewed as no use by society.
A. As the Pharisees and the other disciples scanned Matthew’s guest list their skin probably began to crawl.
1. The crowd that gathered at Matthew’s house was a crowd that Jesus could not reach at the synagogue because they would not have been allowed to enter the synagogue.
2. The crowd that gathered at Matthew’s house would have included other tax collectors. The term sinners would refer to anyone who did not measure up to the Pharisees standards for righteousness.
3. The Pharisees had strict rules against having fellowship with people such as these. However, the Pharisees main problem was that they viewed themselves as righteous and everyone else as sinners.
4. Jesus’ invitation for Matthew to join the ranks of the disciples probably even shocked the other disciples, but it illustrates the concept of forgiveness discussed in the opening verses of chapter nine quite vividly.
5. We are tempted to ask the question, “What would a guy like Matthew do with Jesus?”
6. Jesus’ call of Matthew not only illustrates Jesus’ ability to forgive sins but the wide range of sins that He is willing to forgive.
B. We often are guilty of believing the lie that we can best show the world the value of the Gospel by being separate from them.
1. There is no rule that says a sinner must clean up their act before coming to Jesus.
2. Many Christians have adopted the idea that you should not mix with non-Christians because their bad habits might rub off on you.
3. So to protect themselves from being contaminated by the world they have adopted huge lists of do’s and don’ts much like the Pharisees.
4. Yes, Christians are called to a different life-style but it is wrong to believe that we are good witnesses for Christ because we do not associate with the people who behave and believe differently than we do.
5. If we truly want to reach others we cannot separate ourselves from them, if we truly want to be like Jesus then we need to go where the people who need a Savior are.
6. We cannot allow ourselves to be afraid to reach out to people who sin; God’s message can change anyone and is for everyone.
III. As Christians we are called to go to the very ones who need Jesus most.
A. Jesus unveils His new paradigm by showing that His true mission was to seek and save the lost.
1. Jesus clearly shows that He came for those who were willing to admit their need for a Savior.
2. The reason He did not come to call the righteous is because those that think they are righteous are not able to recognize their own sinfulness.
3. Jesus further illustrates this in the parables of the cloth and wine skins. Jesus’ entrance into human history has inaugurated an entirely new era.
4. Jesus reminds us that the main prerequisite for coming to Him is a willingness to admit our sins and our need for Him.
B. The church for years has been guilty of operating under the paradigm that the church is a place for somber saints rather than jubilant sinners.
1. Jesus illustrates this when He is asked about fasting. Fasting was always a sign of mourning and often was used to show one’s sorrow for sin.
2. Jesus shows that this is a time of celebration. The long awaited Messiah has come and with Him has come salvation for those who will accept Him.
3. When we gather to worship we need to be joyful. It is a time to celebrate all that Jesus has done for us.
4. The Pharisees show that religion wants people to be somber, serious and quiet. But Jesus calls us to worship happily, cheerfully and with enthusiasm.
C. The change that Jesus has brought to our own lives should make us want to help others have the same experience.
1. The greatest proof of the change that Jesus brought to Matthew’s life is seen in the invitation he gave to others to come and meet the Lord.
2. The greatest way we can show our gratitude to Jesus is through a willingness to enthusiastically share the message of new life through Him with others. This will be the sign that our life has truly been changed.
3. We have good news for all the sinners in the world. We have an invitation from the Father for all the prodigal children to come home.
4. The Gospel message is compromised more by our unwillingness to share it than anything else.
5. We often act like a person’s reputation or past behavior cuts them off from ever meeting Jesus. If we believe this we are dead wrong and don’t really know Jesus.
6. The question that we have to ask is this, “Is your approach to non-Christians more like Matthew’s or like that of the Pharisees?”
A Los Angeles County parking control officer came upon a brown Cadillac Eldorado illegally parked next to the curb on street sweeping day. The officer concentrating on his duty wrote the man a ticket. Totally ignoring the man seated behind the wheel, he reached through the open window and slapped the $30 ticket down on the dashboard.
The driver of the car made no excuses. No arguments ensued and with good reason. The driver of the car had been shot in the head ten to twelve hours before but was sitting up, stiff as a board, slumped slightly forward, with blood on his face. He was dead. The officer was so preoccupied with his ticket writing he never noticed that there was anything wrong. He simply got back in his car and drove away.
