Matthew 9:9-13 – The Reach
Today I want to tell you a story. It’s a good story, too. It has conflict and underhanded dealings. It has redemption and the promise of a bright future ahead. Plus, it’s true. Today’s story comes to you from Matthew 9:9-13. The same story is also in Luke 5. These passages tell about what happened when someone met Jesus. Let’s read.
This story from Matthew took place early in Jesus’ ministry. He’d already been preaching, including the sermon on the mount. He’d already called out to some fishermen named Peter, Andrew, James and John, and they’d been following Him. He’d already healed many people. Jesus had been getting His name spread around town.
And then he showed up to this booth owned by a tax collector who has 2 names: Levi or Matthew. Tax collectors were hated in those days, and I’m not sure things are much different now. In the land of Israel, the governing Romans hired Jewish men to be tax collectors. So, they were from their own people, but working for the enemy. Plus, they were known to hike taxes and pocket the extra.
So this Matthew fellow wasn’t really a guy most decent people would want to spend time with. But I think we already know Jesus was not like most decent people. There’s a Petra song that honestly prays, “And I am glad that You are not at all like me.”
So Jesus came up to Matthew and said, “Follow me.” Very simple, but it changed Matthew’s life. Matthew was a sinful man, and he knew it, and when he was given the chance to leave it behind, he did. That’s just how it was. Matthew heard Jesus calling him, and he got up and obeyed, no questions. Too many people respond when they hear Jesus calling. “Sure, forgive my sins, that would be great!” But when it comes time to follow and serve and obey and leave behind the old things… that isn’t so easy, and they aren’t so willing. And you find the paradox of Christians who aren’t following Jesus. I’ll leave that to Him about whether that’s even possible.
Now, even though Matthew was willing to leave his old ways behind, he was wanting to bring his old friends with him. So here’s what he did. Luke tells us he threw a great banquet in honour of Jesus, and he invited all his old friends: tax collectors and various other sinners. Matthew wanted his friends to meet Jesus, so he organized an event where his friends could rub shoulders with followers of Jesus, over some food and fun, and maybe meet Jesus Himself.
You know, that sounds a lot like what we’re trying to do here at Centreville, when we have games nights, or youth drop-ins, or picnics. It’s not just about food or fun, but about following in Matthew’s footsteps, and as we’ll see, ultimately in Jesus’ footsteps.
Now, what’s interesting is that the naysayers showed up too. Well, maybe they complained after the fact, but they had much to say about Jesus’ antics. They came to the disciples and asked them questions: “This so-called teacher of yours… what business does he have fraternizing with low-lifes? What right does he have socializing with sinners?”
Notice they didn’t ask Jesus. They asked His disciples. They figured they could undermine Jesus’ following by asking tough questions to His followers. It’s no different today. The naysayers will complain to you today. They’ll ask you questions they don’t want the answers to; they just want to undermine your faith. They’ll ask questions like, “Why does God hate gays?” and “Why did God want His people to commit genocide and ethnic cleansing?” and “Don’t you think it’s narrow-minded to say that Jesus is the only way to heaven?” and so on.
What’s neat is that Jesus didn’t make his followers answer these naysayer questions. He stepped in with the answer. Folks, I really don’t think you need to try to answer all the questions that people ask you. You’ve heard me say: You don’t need to attend every argument you get invited to. And there will be questions that you maybe don’t know the answers to. I really think that’s OK. Some people like Josh McDowell or Lee Strobel – or the apostle Paul – delight in answering questions, and if that’s you, go ahead and be you. Others, like the blind man in John 9, try to avoid philosophical and intellectual arguments, and just say, “There’s lots I don’t know, but I know this: Jesus changed me.”
Christian author Donald Miller said this: “My most recent faith struggle is not one of intellect. I don’t really do that anymore. Sooner or later you just figure out there are some guys who don’t believe in God and they can prove He doesn't exist, and there are some other guys who do believe in God and they can prove He does exist, and the argument stopped being about God a long time ago and now it’s about who is smarter, and honestly I don’t care.” I like that.
So how did Jesus answer the naysayers, the scoffers, the doubters, the finger-pointers? He said that healthy people don’t need doctors, just sick people. The people who knew that their lives were sick and empty and hurting and lonely and wrecked and miserable… they were ones who would appreciate Jesus and His forgiveness.
But the religious people didn’t realize their sickness. Like today. People talk about the silent killers like high blood pressure, high sodium, high cholesterol. Or the silent diseases, the diseases you don’t realize other people have, like fibromyalgia and depression. The truth is, religious people are sick, too, but their lives cover over the sickness. Greed, envy, hatred, bitterness, lust, anger, resentment, the insatiable desires to be noticed or to be in control… these are silent killers in religious people, things that can be hidden by a good life, but things that even 365 days of church attendance can’t fix.
That’s why Jesus added what he did, quoting from Hosea 6:6 – “I desire mercy, not sacrifice.” Jesus says that God wants mercy, not sacrifice. Because we all have a sickness, whether we hide it well or not, because we all have fallen short of what God wants for us, we need to treat others with mercy. Being nice to people and caring about them – that’s better than giving up all kinds of stuff for God. Treating people with honour and dignity is better than sacrificing all kinds of things for God.
We’ve been looking at the God-given purposes of every church on earth, the directions that God gave us for how we at Centreville Baptist Church should function. These purposes spell the word GRACE. Centreville Baptist Church exists to Glorify God, Reach out to others, Aspire to live like Jesus, Commit to serve, and Encourage one another.
Today we are on the letter R. We have seen Matthew reaching out to others, because he was following his Master’s example. Jesus Christ – God Himself – who stepped out of heaven and took on human flesh and came and lived with us and showed us how to live and then died to forgive us of our sins and rose again to give us the power to change. Jesus, who entered the mission field of earth because He loved us and wanted to show us mercy.
God wants, even expects us, to care about other people. “Jesus and me” is a selfish illusion. God doesn’t care just about your relationship with Him, but also your relationship with others. How do you treat other people? Do you tolerate them or love them?
The tendency for us is to get so self-absorbed in our own walk with God, that we forget others along the way. We pray and read and study and it’s easy to lose sight of those around us. There’s certainly a time and a place for quiet times with God. But not all day every day.
If you think that God’s main concern is about making you happy, your God is too small. Your entertainment is not God’s highest priority. There is a time to deal with your own garbage, yes. But at some point, you need to stop navel-gazing and pour your life into others again.
So where do we go from here? How do we listen to a message about reaching out to others, and then put it into practice? Several years ago, I took my people through a study called Becoming a Contagious Christian, which is a great resource from Bill Hybels at Willow Creek Church in Chicago. What has stuck with me the most is that there are many different ways to show mercy and to reach out. A couple of the ways have already been mentioned.
Matthew was connected through friendships with others. John Symonds in Yarmouth called this relational ministry. Using already existing relationships with others to draw them closer to God.
What Matthew did was the same thing as the Samaritan women in John 4. They invited their friends to meet Jesus. You could invite your friends and family to events like games night and youth drop in and music nights. Invite your friends to church. I don’t mean friends who already go to church somewhere else.
Let me make the record clear. My goal is not to take people from other churches and bring them here. They are welcome, but we will not seek them to come here. People who are unhappy in other churches are welcome as well, and if they feel like settling down here, that’s fine too. We will serve and feed and nurture anyone who wants to come for as long as they are here. But generally, people who are unhappy elsewhere will bring baggage with them and may be unhappy here too.
Let the record show that there is no church that is competition for us. Our competition is what John says it is: the world, the flesh, and the devil. We are never in a war against other believers or other churches. Please remember that when you invite people.
Another example of reaching out was the blind man in John 9, who simply told people what had happened to him. He didn’t care about having all the answers, but he just said how he had been changed. Is that you? Look, I can’t tell you exactly what happened, I just know my life is different now. Just share your story.
Paul wanted to explain things, like in Acts 17. He wanted to reason and elaborate and study and use culture to explain the scriptures. Maybe you like the intellectual approach. That’s great. Help people sort through their intellectual hang-ups and discuss their arguments.
Peter was confrontational in Acts 2. He just simply told the truth in love, pulling no punches, and people responded. Some people can do that, and get away with it. Others can’t. If you can’t, don’t. Too many people have been driven away from God and the church because someone laid down a heavy hand, with or without love, but it came across wrong. Ask God to give you the right words.
And the book of Acts gives us another example: Dorcas in Acts 9, who was well-known for serving others. Making meals, raking leaves, mowing lawns, fixing things, going out of your way to meet other people’s needs. Showing compassion by helping others maybe takes longer, but it works in wonderful ways in the power of God.
I don’t think that God uses a cookie cutter to make us all the same in how we reach out to others. I think that once we get the right motives – mercy and compassion – God can show us how. So right now, I want you to pray. Ask God for one name and one way to reach out to them. One person who needs God, and one way that you can be part of God’s plan to reach them.
