Introducing Matthew
Turn to Matthew 9:9
I have decided to preach through the New Testament starting this year, if I can. Well, the first book in the New Testament is Matthew. I do not want to begin in chapter one, we will eventually. But I want to begin with the disciple named Matthew.
In our passage this morning we see Jesus’ call to the man called Matthew. In other places he is called Levi. When a person was taken to serve a new master, the new master often gave that individual a new name. If you read the account in the Old Testament of the subjection of Israel by Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar gave the king of Israel a new name. Jesus gave Cepheus the name Peter, and he probably gave Levi the name Matthew. To show that Levi had a new master. To show that Levi was no longer the tax collector, the kind of man he had been before, but was changed by his encounter with Christ.
We take this out of the Gospel of Matthew because it is Matthew’s own story. There is something there, even though the narrative is so short. We have here only five verses, and yet, these verses say much. We have in this man Levi an illustration of every one of us, at one time or another. And so as we begin lets turn to and read Matthew 9:9
Jesus saw a man.
Matthew 9:9 (NKJV)
As Jesus passed on from there, He saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, "Follow Me." So he arose and followed Him.
In Mark we have a parallel passage in which Matthew is named Levi.
Mark 2:14 (NKJV)
As He passed by, He saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, "Follow Me." So he arose and followed Him.
Luke also names Matthew Levi. Matthew was most likely not too proud of Levi, the man he had been, and preferred Matthew, the man he had become.
This is Matthew's personal testimony. Now, just imagine him sitting and writing own personal experience. As a tax collector, he was a man bitterly opposed, talked and gossiped about and hated, not by just a few, but by everyone. His place in Jewish society was non-existent, as a tax collector, most Jewish tax collectors, were so detested that they were classified with the worst of sinners. They collected the tax for the Roman conquerors. They became wealthy by extortion. So wealthy that they were able to own large houses, large enough to handle a huge crowd and a large feast. They were immoral, unjust, money-hungry, and worldly-minded. They cared more for possessions and wealth than for people. Through the years they had become unloving, hard, difficult, bitter-and worst of all, without love, purpose, meaning, and significance in life. There is, of course, so much more; yet Matthew covers all this in these few simple verses. What is so heart-warming and touching is that Matthew shares his own personal conversion in one simple verse, and then he moves on to share how Jesus came to save sinners such as himself. If you were to turn to Luke 19, you would find the story of another tax collector’s conversion, one Zacchaeus. In that story we see the actions of the man after his conversion. But, in Matthew’s own story, he does not talk about himself nor about the details of his sin and shame nor his actions of repentance, but He does lifts up Jesus and the glorious salvation Jesus came to bring. He emphasizes not his own conversion, but the fact that Jesus came to save all tax collectors and sinners such as himself. Jesus "saw a man," a sinner who needed a savior.
The people saw not a man, but Levi, a tax collector for the Romans. They hated him and all other tax collectors. But, Jesus saw the man, Levi, and in him was the man Matthew. Jesus "saw a man". Jesus saw where he was sitting and what he was doing. He saw everything about him. Jesus saw his heart, Jesus saw his mind, Jesus saw his pain, Jesus saw his loneliness, Jesus saw his lack of purpose and meaning in life, Jesus "saw a man," a man who needed a Savior.
We were all Levi’s. Jesus saw our heart, Jesus saw our mind, Jesus saw our pain, Jesus saw our loneliness, Jesus saw our lack of purpose and meaning in life, Jesus "saw a person," a person who needed a Savior.
Jesus called the man. For Levi, Jesus dramatically said, "Follow me." It must have been very forceful and to the point. It seems that there were to be no questions asked, no hesitations, no buts, no allowances, no half-heartedness, no delayed decision. It was forceful and to the point. Levi was to follow immediately without hesitating. It was immediate and total commitment or nothing.
Jesus calls each one of us in a manner fitting our individuality, age, gender, and up bringing. I was in the eighth grade. My friends continually invited me to church things, Sunday School, Sky pilots, Parties, and a Billy Graham Film. My life was pretty messed up. My father walked out on us before I was in Kindergarten. My step father was abusive, No one escaped the abuse, If you got in the way, he beat you, To him, we were all useless and a waste of skin. I was thinking seriously about taking the easy way out. I just needed a way that wouldn’t hurt too much. Then Jesus called me. Instead of a bold call like Levi got, Jesus was kind and gentle, come to me, I love you and I will be a father to you, At least that’s the way it felt.
I have seen others called when the bottom was about to fall out of their lives, Others called by His generous love, Others called to save families, Little ones are called by his compassionate parental nature.
Jesus saw a person and called that person to Himself, Levi, You and me.
And Levi closed the office and followed Jesus. Levi became Matthew. Let’s go on to verse 10. Matthew became an evangelist.
Matthew 9:10 (NKJV)
Now it happened, as Jesus sat at the table in the house, that behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Him and His disciples.
The outcasts of society usually band together, we see this even today. Homeless seem to gather together in a local area. They benefit from company, and information among the others. These were the people that Matthew could call acquaintances. Maybe even a couple of friends, other tax collectors, Prostitutes, Alcoholics, Thieves of all kinds.
While we were at another Baptist church in Phoenix, I was asked to teach a Sunday School class on the Revelation. As we had discussed the rapture and second coming of Christ, many of those in my class expressed their happy anticipation of the rapture. Then one fellow, a relatively new Christian came to me and said, “I’m not sure I’m ready for Jesus to come, I got too many friends that need to be saved first.” This was quite a statement. He was saying what Matthew was probably thinking, “I got to get these friends saved too.”
From time to time we hear statistics about how people first came into church membership. These figures trace back to the Institute for American Church Growth, which asked 10,000 people about their pilgrimage. What led them in? Answers were: They had a special need, 2 percent; Just Walked-in, 3 percent; The Pastor, 6 percent; Visitation, 1 percent; Sunday school, 5 percent; Evangelistic crusade, 5 percent; Some special program, 3 percent; A Friend or relative invited them, 79 percent.
Can you see why the AWANA program is so successful, friends and relatives inviting kids to AWANA is totally compatible with that area of 79%. Sometimes there is a problem when we have been Christians for some time We have naturally narrowed our circle of friends to Christians, Talking about our faith is not a problem, Inviting people to church is not a problem, We are just alienated from non-Christians, And yet, we are still admonished in 2 Timothy 4:5.
2 Timothy 4:5 (NKJV)
But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. Do the work of an evangelist.
Now, lets look at Matthew 9,verses 10 & 11. Jesus sat with the dregs of society.
Matthew 9:10-11 (NKJV)
Now it happened, as Jesus sat at the table in the house, that behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Him and His disciples. {11} And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to His disciples, "Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?"
One a warm spring evening in May 1998, Christopher Sercy, a 15 year old black boy, was playing basketball with a few friends half a block from Ravenswood Hospital. Three teenage Latino gang members looking for a black target approached and shot Chris in the belly. His frantic friends carried him to within 30 feet of the hospital and, exhausted, they ran inside for help. The emergency room personnel refused to go outside to assist the dying boy citing a policy that only allows them to help those who are inside the hospital. The boys called for nearby police to attend their wounded friend. When the officers arrived on the scene they proceeded to call for an ambulance, but refused to carry the boy inside. While passersby pled with the officers to get the boy into the hospital, he lay in a pool of blood unconscious. When, after several minutes, the ambulance had not yet arrived, the police gave in and carried Chris into the emergency room. By then, nothing could be done to save his life.
As is often true, when we legalistically insist on the letter of the law, the needs of others are overlooked. By holding to standard operating procedures, the "royal law of love" was pinned to the mat. Initially, hospital administration vehemently defended their ER's lack of involvement. Only after a barrage of community outrage did Ravenswood Hospital reverse its policy of treating only those inside its doors.
It was Jesus who observed "Woe to you teachers of the law, you hypocrites. You give a tenth ... but you have neglected the more important matters of the law--justice, mercy, and faithfulness." We really should examine Jesus example here. Jesus went where the sinners were. He did not avoid or shy away from them. He sought them out. Sinners felt comfortable coming to Him. They did not shy away nor did they feel unwelcome. Jesus had meals with sinners, immoral people whom society and religionists rejected and avoided. Jesus and sinners were close friends. Look at the scene here: there was a large feast and a party of immoral characters, and Jesus was right in the middle of them. Of course, the purpose of the feast was for Jesus to bear witness. This is important: we are to be out in the world witnessing to sinful men, but we are not to be of the world. The Pharisees saw Jesus with these sinners. Someone is always looking. Satan is always seeking ammunition to destroy your ministry. The Pharisees saw Jesus with these sinners and were asking, “What’s a good Jewish boy doing with these ‘people’?”
When I was in High School, there were certain people you did not associate with. I graduated from Fontana High School, in Fontana, California. You can check history, Fontana High School is where a bike gang called “Hell’s Angles” started. I had friends who were members of the dubious organization. I guess I was what one would call a geek. But, I made my friends where I found them and it had nothing to do with what others thought. I never thought about it, but it takes guts to be a friend of the friendless. Matthew wanted his old acquaintances to come to know Jesus and Jesus wanted them to come and follow Him just as Matthew did. But, the Pharisees found a good Jewish boy’s acceptance of these people something to be condemned. Their prejudice was something that Jesus could not abide.
Daniel O'Connell said, Bigotry has no head and cannot think; no heart and cannot feel.
Sound very much like these Pharisees and some people in Christ’s church today.
Some say that they are people of conviction, but Some convictions are nothing more than prejudices. Some who call themselves Christians will not fellowship with others who do not worship in the same manner. Is this love? Or is it being pharisaical?
The church really doesn’t need Pharisees. The church needs more Christ like people.
Well, lets turn at last to Matthew 9:12 & 13. "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.
Matthew 9:12-13 (NKJV)
When Jesus heard that, He said to them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. {13} "But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy and not sacrifice.' For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance."
Jesus never attacked the sinner. He simply said, "I forgive you." Meanwhile, he attacked the self-righteous with a vengeance, because he knew that until they felt guilty, they couldn't be forgiven. The tax collectors, The prostitutes, The thieves, These people knew they needed forgiveness.
This was not something the religious elite would give. This was something only some one who loved them could give, This was Jesus, Jesus came to seek and to save that which was lost. Jesus does not call the self-righteous and the self-satisfied. They feel that they are good enough to be acceptable to God. Jesus calls the sinners to repentance, the ones who are deeply aware of their need for a Savior. The call of Jesus is to repentance and to a changed life. Think about the people Jesus calls, The person who is spiritually sick, The person who needs mercy, The person who is a sinner, The person who needs to repent.
But, Jesus receives the following persons, The person who knows that he is a spiritually sick, The person who acknowledges that his need for God’s mercy, The person who confesses that he is a sinner, The person who truly repents.
That was you and I at one time. Now, we like Levi/Matthew have the opportunity to reach out to those around us with the gospel of Christ. Let’s do it!
Matthew 9:9 - 13
