“We are Judged by the Company We Keep”
Matthew 9:9-13
Imagine, if you will, inviting the most reviled, hated, person in your town or city to hang out with you.
Imagine there being a person that all your friends hate—despise—wouldn’t be seen giving the time of day to…
…and then imagine that YOU invite them to church.
You take them with you to your Sunday school class or small group.
You insist that they sit next to you in the sanctuary.
You introduce them to everyone…
…and of course, everyone already knows them or knows of them…
…and they wouldn’t be seen with that person if you paid them.
That would be a pretty radical thing to do, would it not?
Or imagine being in Middle School or High School.
And imagine you have friends.
You aren’t the MOST popular person in class—but everyone is, after-all, vying for that position.
And of course, everyone is known by the company they keep.
So, everyone does their best to sit at the “popular table” at lunch or be seen with the so-called “beautiful people.”
But there are always the major casta-ways—the people that, for some reason or another NO ONE seems to like.
They are the butt of many jokes.
Your friends and classmates bully and make fun of them on a regular basis.
And the popular people, oh, they make the MOST fun of these persons.
Well, imagine a person like that.
Even the other outcastes don’t want anything to do with them.
They eat alone at a table all by themselves at lunch.
They don’t smell good; perhaps they come from a very dysfunctional family—they have terrible social skills--whatever it is.
But imagine making the decision to go over to that person, talk with that person and invite that person to come sit with you at the popular table.
Can you imagine doing that as a middle schooler or high schooler?
The Scripture Passage we are looking at this morning might well be a record of one of the most socially radical things Jesus ever did.
Our story takes place in Judea.
And Judea was a province that was under the occupation and protection of Rome.
And because Judea was under the protection of Rome the people enjoyed privileges such as economic trade and relatively safe passage throughout Rome’s vast empire.
People were even granted access to Rome’s luxuries and goods.
But the privilege of the “Pax Romana” or the Peace of Rome came with a price.
The Jews had to endure the humiliation of being ruled by despised Gentiles.
They had to tolerate their offensive pagan worship and practices which threatened to undermine the Jewish way of life.
And the Jews also had to submit to Roman laws and customs.
This included paying taxes to Rome.
In order to carry this out, Rome would hire local Jews to collect the taxes.
And this had the potential to be a pretty lucrative situation for the person who did the tax collecting.
With a Roman soldier on either side of him—and it would have been a “him”—the tax collector had the power to collect the taxes.
And the tax collectors were given the power to decide what people owed the empire as well, and there were no fair courts where people could appeal any corrupt demands.
So, tax collectors were notorious for overcharging way beyond what would have been expected.
They taxed their neighbors unbelievably high rates, keeping the excess for themselves.
And everyone—every one of the tax collector’s countrymen would have considered him to be a traitor, a disgrace to his family—who were forced to disown him—and he certainly would not have been welcome in a synagogue or Temple.
As a matter of fact, the Jews thought of those who collected taxes to be as good as dead.
They were completely hated and completely shunned.
No one liked a tax collector.
No one would have been caught dead hanging out with one.
The radical nature of Jesus’ calling of Matthew the tax collector is very well brought to life in a new series called “The Chosen.”
How many of you have seen “The Chosen”?
You can look up “The Chosen” in the App. Store on your phone or on Google Play.
It’s free to download.
And it is well-done.
What it is—is the story of Jesus and His disciples put on the screen.
In the first few episodes we get to know what this Matthew character might have been like.
They portray him as someone who would have been sort of a social misfit even if he hadn’t been a tax collector.
He is somewhere on the autism spectrum, but is a genius with numbers.
That’s why Rome chooses him to be a tax collector.
Early in the show, Peter is just about to lose everything he owns, the fishing business—everything to this unscrupulous Matthew guy.
And so, Peter and the disciples are not big fans of him, to say the least.
In the scene where Jesus calls Matthew, Jesus is walking with His disciples past Matthew’s tax collector’s booth.
And of course, he is protected by a Roman Soldier.
Jesus sees Matthew and makes eye contact with him.
“Matthew,” Jesus says.
Looking a bit confused and probably very surprised that this up and coming superstar Jewish Rabbi is paying any attention to him at all, least of all—calling his name Matthew answers: “Yes?”
Jesus says, “Follow me.”
Now Matthew looks completely bewildered, “Me?” he asks as if he can’t believe it.
Jesus smiles and then laughs, “Yes, you,” he says.
Well, the disciples are just as shocked at all this as Matthew is.
So, Peter runs up to Jesus and says, “Woe, Woe, Woe. What are you doing?”
Then, again, Matthew asks: “You want ME to join YOU?”
It’s not as if Matthew doesn’t know exactly who he is and what everyone in the world thinks of him.
The camera goes back to Peter who is saying to Jesus: “Do you have any idea what this guy has done?
Do you even know him?”
Jesus answers, “Yes.”
At this, Matthew stands up, and leaves the tax collectors booth against the will of the Roman soldier who is guarding him.
The soldier asks Matthew: “Have you lost your mind?
You have money!
Rome protects you.
No Jew lives as good as you.
You’re going to throw that all away?”
Handing him the key to the booth Matthew answers, “Yes.”
Peter, of course, is still incredulous—“I don’t get it,” he says.
At this Jesus turns to Peter with a smile and says, “You didn’t get it when I chose you either.”
To this, Peter answers: “But this is different.
I’m not a tax collector.”
“This is different. I’m not a tax collector.”
I suppose most of us could parrot back and have parroted back what Peter says.
“Sure, I am called by Jesus.
I’m a follower of Christ.
I consider myself a Christian…
…even though I am a sinner…
…but I’m different, I’m not a--______ “ you fill in the blank.
The thought that the disciples were not happy about Jesus’ calling of Matthew had never really occurred to me before watching that scene, but it makes perfect sense.
After-all, we know the disciples weren’t happy with some other folks Jesus associates with, such as the questionable Samaritan Woman at the Well in John Chapter 4…
…and I can’t imagine what they, being good Jews who knew the Law, thought of Jesus touching and hanging out with the lepers and other people who were clearly marked by everyone as “unclean.”
And so, here Jesus is, calling Matthew to become one of His disciples…
…Matthew--one of, if not the most hated person in town.
Also, one of the most sinful and ruthless people in town.
I wonder how many friends and family members of the disciples Matthew had taxed out of their homes…with not a thought of their well-being.
Many, I suspect.
In any event, if the disciples are shocked by Jesus’ calling of Matthew…
…what do you suppose they were thinking when Jesus took them straight to Matthew’s house in order to break bread with Matthew and Matthews friends, who would naturally have been—you guessed it—other tax collectors, as well as whatever sinful company they kept—the worst of the worst such as thieves, bandits, prostitutes and more…
…Not the kind of folks most people want anything to do with.
It would be the equivalent of us going with Jesus to recline and dine with gang-bangers, drug dealers, terrorists, sex traffickers, child molesters—you name it!!!
How comfortable would you feel in that crowd?
Would you begin to have doubts about what you have gotten yourself into and just WHO IT IS you have decided to follow?
But, nonetheless, this is the scene that clearly identifies the heart of Jesus’ mission.
He has come to seek out the lost.
He has come to love those people who are considered to be—and likely by themselves as well—the worst of the worst—sinners beyond redemption…the hated, the despised, the unlovable.
He has come to heal the broken hearted, to restore the outcast, and to gather together all those who have been scattered and shattered by the trials and tribulations of this life.
And for this reason, this is also a scene that points out what got Jesus into so much trouble.
For we are, after-all, judged by the company we keep.
So, Jesus is in Matthew’s house.
And Matthew might have been hated, but Matthew was RICH!
And Jesus is having dinner with this crazy crew.
And, like I said, Jesus would have been reclining at the table with these people.
Dining tables in wealthy homes were surrounded by cushions and pillows and elevated surfaces just off the floor.
This allowed for those gathering around the table to rest and recline as they enjoyed their meal and conversation.
In doing this, Jesus is treating these horrible people with profound respect.
He’s treating them as if they aren’t the awful sinners everyone knows them to be.
He’s accepting their hospitality and honoring them with His presence, and in doing this He is identifying them as people who are loved by God.
And this drives the religious authorities crazy!!!
And so, they approach the disciples, who are probably just about as embarrassed and disgusted as the Pharisees and they ask them: “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and ‘sinners’”?
And notice that even though it is the disciples who are asked this question, it is not the disciples who answer this question.
And the reason is…again…they are just as flabbergasted as the ones who are doing the asking.
And so, Jesus either hears the question or hears about it.
And He answers, as He often does, with a parable: “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.”
But then He follows this up with a Scripture Passage, this time from Hosea: “Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’
For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
Of course, the Pharisees would have believed that they were among those who were righteous and healthy because they were the upstanding teachers of the Law and guardians of the traditions surrounding it.
But given the Pharisees biblical knowledge they should also be physicians who are here to help the spiritually sick.
They, more than anyone, should be the ones who have compassion rather than condemnation for needy sinners.
They, more than anyone, should be the ones who understand the love and mercy of God.
But it doesn’t always work that way.
The Pharisees, the religious leaders were actually just as sick as the tax collectors and everyone else at the table.
They were simply masking their sickness and being hypocrites.
And so, Jesus gives them a homework assignment: “Go and learn what Hosea Chapter 6 means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’”
In quoting this verse, Jesus would have expected the biblically literate Pharisees to recognize both the verse as well as its full context.
Hosea Chapter 6 begins with a call to “return to the Lord.”
It uses a metaphor of spiritual healing similar to the parable Jesus just shared about the sick being the ones who need a physician.
But in Hosea it’s everyone who needs healing.
It’s the entire nation Hosea is talking about as he talks of Judah’s disloyalty and unfaithfulness, as he makes a particular note of the unrighteous behavior of the religious folks—the priests.
Any Pharisee would have seen that Jesus was talking about them.
Jesus is saying that they are like Hosea’s unrighteous priests who follow the religious rules but are distant from God.
And in doing so, Jesus is calling them to repent and come to Him for spiritual healing—for salvation.
Jesus is in the business of showing compassion and offering help to the lost—the sinners.
And that includes the Pharisees, but they can’t see their need…
…or they don’t want to see their need.
Because what would it mean if they did see their need?
Would it mean that they too would have to give up all their status and power and follow this up and coming radical Rabbi named Jesus?
Would it mean that they too would soon have to find themselves dining and rubbing shoulders with tax collectors, prostitutes and all the other misfits and horrible people Jesus and the disciples find themselves with?
Because let’s face it: Jesus is head-over-heals in love with messed up sinners.
Jesus is head-over-heals in love with people like me, people like you, people like the homeless guy down the street or the person who stole the catalytic convertor out of our church van.
Jesus loves these awful people.
And as Jesus’ followers, Jesus calls us to love them as well…
…to hang out with them as well…
…to invite them to the proverbial “popular lunch table at school,” sit with them in the sanctuary, greet them with the warmest and most sincere smile.
Jesus loves them; are we expected to do any less???
It is love that heals the sick.
You know, Jesus called Matthew, so this tax collector was now a disciple.
But the other tax collectors and sinners around the table were potential disciples, invited to be with Jesus without any pre-conditions.
Jesus meets us and loves us all where we are.
He loves us unconditionally.
He died for us while we were yet sinners.
He forgave the ones nailing the stakes into his hands.
Jesus knows that the source of genuine…of true conversion and salvation is unconditional love.
It’s what Matthew experienced.
It’s what Zacchaeus experienced.
It’s what Mary Magdalene experienced.
It’s what Peter would most definitely experience.
Back to that series “The Chosen” for a minute.
When Jesus calls Matthew Peter says, “I don’t get it.”
Jesus replies, “You didn’t get it when I chose you either.”
And to this Peter says: “But this is different. I’m not a tax collector.”
And the scene finishes with Jesus answering Peter by saying: “Get used to different.”
“Get used to different.”
As the Church of Jesus Christ, we must learn to accept the fact that we are all sinful people—saved by grace.
And we must accept the fact that we exist—the Church of Jesus Christ—exist for other sinful people who crave and need to experience God’s Unconditional Love in order to be genuinely converted, saved and transformed.
What could be more obvious than that?
What could be more difficult, more different?
What could be more liberating, more exciting than to be called to simply love people into God’s Kingdom?
