The word Misunderstood is a situation in life where someone’s intentions, actions, or words are misrepresented.
Being misunderstood has led to some tradgic things in life.
Let me illustrate…
Illus: A woman came home late one night after work and quietly opens the door to her bedroom. When she turned the bedroom light on from under the end of the blanket, she saw four legs instead of just her husband's two.
She reaches for her husband’s golf club in the corner of the room and starts hitting the blanket as hard as she can, and you could hear the screaming in the next county.
• Once she's done, she is angry and exhausted, she goes to the kitchen.
• As she enters, she sees her husband there sitting in a chair reading the newspaper.
• He says, "Hi darling, your parents have come to visit us, so I let them stay in our bedroom. Did you say hello?"
Life is filled with all kinds of tragic misunderstandings.
Some are more tragic than others.
Illus: Sometimes our dogs misunderstand us.
For example, someone suggested these are some of the misunderstandings our pet dogs have...
• Getting up does NOT mean we are going for a walk
• Just because I'm eating, doesn't mean you can eat
Illus: But not only do we have misunderstandings with our spouse, pets, we also have them within the church.
Illus: A Pastor recently told his congregation that the church needed some extra money. He asked the people to consider donating a little more than usual in the offering plate. He said that whoever gave the most would be able to pick out three hymns in the service. After the offering plates were passed, the pastor glanced down and noticed that someone had placed a $1,000 bill in offering.
The Pastor was so excited that he immediately shared his joy with his congregation, and said he'd like to personally thank the person who placed the money in the plate. A very quiet, elderly, saintly looking lady all the way in the back shyly raised her hand. The pastor asked her to come to the front.
Slowly she made her way to the pastor. He told her how wonderful it was that she gave so much, and in thanks he asked her to pick out three hymns.
Her eyes brightened as she looked over the congregation. Pointing to the three most handsome men in the building, she said, "I'll take him and him and him."
Life is full of all kinds of misunderstandings in words and deeds.
But it does not matter how diplomatic we might be, people are going to MISUNDERSTAND US!
Sometimes we are misunderstood.
• Because someone wants to misunderstand us for an ulterior motive.
• Because of what we say
• Because of what we did not say
• Because of what we do
• Because of what we are wearing
• Because of whom we are with
• Because of the expression on our face
There are so many things we can do that will cause people to misunderstand us.
But take comfort in this, the Lord Jesus was the most misunderstood person to ever walk on this earth.
• Some purposely took what he said and tried to make something out of it
• Sometimes the crowd could not comprehend what he was saying
• Sometimes He was misunderstood for an ACTION HE MADE.
This is the situation in Luke 5:27-32, we read, “And after these things he went forth, and saw a publican, named Levi, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he said unto him, Follow me. And he left all, rose up, and followed him. And Levi made him a great feast in his own house: and there was a great company of publicans and of others that sat down with them. But the scribes and Pharisees murmured against his disciples, saying, why do ye eat and drink with publicans and sinners? And Jesus answering said unto them, they that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”
Notice, He was misunderstood for an action he took, they said, why do ye eat and drink with publicans and sinners?
They could not understand why He was associating with SINNERS AND REPUBLICANS.
Notice He replied to this misunderstanding by saying…
They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”
This misunderstanding is still taking place today by God’s church in many cases.
He said. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”
For example, many think the purpose of the church…
• Is a place of socializing
• Is a place of feeding the poor
• Is a place of offering all kinds of activates
• Is for the purpose of building beautiful buildings
• Is a place for entertainment
There is not anything wrong with any of these things that mankind has added to the church, but the purpose of the church is to REACH LOST SINNERS!
But these Scribes and Pharisees thought this was horrible MINGLING WITH THE PUBILCANS AND SINNERS!!!
HERE IS THE PROBLEMS, THEY ARE A BUNCH OF RELIGIOUS SNOBS!!!
Even today snoberry is something you find among Christians.
Illus: The reason we have racial problems is because some race of people think they are better than other races.
There are all kinds of snobs today:
• Some neighborhoods are snob zones.
• Some universities are snob zones.
• Yes, and some churches are snob zones.
The world has always been filled with SNOBS.
Illus: Makes you wonder what some people are going to do when they get to heaven. (That is, if they get to heaven!)
Illus: Makes you think of some religious groups when they arrived in heaven:
• Pentecostal Christians when they arrived in heaven St. Peter told them to be quiet when they walked by door number #25.
• Presbyterians Christians when they arrived in heaven St. Peter told them to be quiet when they walked by door number #25.
• Methodist Christians when they arrived in heaven St. Peter told them to be quiet when they walked by door number #25.
• Someone asked St. Peter why should all these religious groups walk quietly by door #25. He said because all of the Baptist Christians are behind door #25 and they think they are the only ones here!
The People in Palestine during this time were divided into two groups:
1) The orthodox Jews who strictly kept the law and all the man-made petty regulations that they added to the law. They were a bunch of snobs who thought they were better than others.
2) And the rest who didn't keep all these minute regulations were second class citizens.
Many churches today feel their church is for certain kinds of people.
Illus: In Columbia, S.C. some of the religious SNOBS did not want to worship with just ordinary people and so they built this fancy church worth millions for DOCTORS, LAWYERS, PROMINENT PEOPLE, THE WEALTHY, AND POLITICIANS.
You can drive by this church on a Sunday morning and the parking lot is filled with some of the most expensive cars available. You cannot find a truck or used car on the parking lot!!!
They have a denominational name on the church, but they should call it the FIRST CHURCH OF THE SNOBS!!!
Anytime lost people feel that the church is not for them the church has been DE-RAILED!!!
The purpose of the church is for everyone regardless of their social, educational, race, or income level the church is for them.
The primary purpose for the church is for two reasons:
• To edify the saints
• To reach the lost
Illus: Dr. John R. Rice have a small booklet that he wrote telling why the church today is not reaching the LOST!
He explains:
• Every song should be geared toward reaching the lost.
• Every Sunday school lesson should be geared toward reaching the lost
• Every sermon should be geared toward reaching the lost.
• Every church service should be geared toward reaching the lost.
This is true, and this is exactly why many churches today cannot remember the last times someone got gloriously saved in their church.
The “Pharisees murmured against his disciples, saying, why do ye eat and drink with publicans and sinners?”
The question should be WHY AREN’T YOU DEVOTING YOUR TIME TO THE PUBLICANS AND SINNERS.
These Pharisees thought they were too good to mingle with such people!!!
Let me illustrate with a true story…
Illus: A church that had a terrific bus ministry reaching the poor needy children in the community.
Needless to say, they wore ragged clothes and many of them had runny noses.
On one occasion in this fancy church the pastor preached a good salvation sermon and some of these children came down to the altar to accept the Lord as their Savior
Afterward some of the so-called Christians snobs complained their dirty clothes and runny nose was messing up the carpet.
Listen, these people are the same kind of people these Pharisees were in the day when they complained that the disciples were mingling with the publicans and sinners.
HOW DID THEY TREAT THEM?
They did a number of things, such as:
• They scrupulously avoided their company
• They refused to do business with them
• They refused to give to them or receive anything from them
• They avoided any form of entertainment with them, including table fellowship
Jesus' association with the latter, especially with tax collectors and sinners, shocked the sensibilities of these orthodox Jews.
In calling Matthew to be one of his disciples, Jesus SELECTED one of the unlikeliest of men -- a tax collector, who by profession was despised by the Jewish people.
Let’s look at-
I. HIS MISUNDERSTANDING
Matthew was a tax collector. But as you can imagine this did not make him the most popular man in town to associate with.
Illus: Some professions are like that, for example, an undertaker is not the kind of person we like to hang out with.
Why? Because of their profession, most people do not enjoy being around undertakers because they always feel that when they look at them, they are being measured to see what size casket they will need.
Matthew was frowned upon also, because of his profession as a tax collector.
(1) The Jews fiercely hated tax collectors.
WHY DID THEY HATE TAX COLLECTORS?
Because they hated being under Roman rule. The Romans would hire people like Matthew to collect taxes.
Many of the collectors were dishonest, collecting more than they were supposed to. Because these collectors were working for the Roman government, they were hated, and they were not allowed to enter the synagogue. Their money was considered tainted also.
(2) Tax collectors were placed in the same category as robbers and murders.
So, it would seem that the Lord Jesus, being a Jew, would not want to associate with a man of this caliber.
Sad to say the church has too many STUFF SHIRT CHRISTIANS.
Illus: Christian man who loved the Lord very much was very faithful to his church.
He sometime had to work out of town and on one occasion he was working out of town, and it was during the mid-week he could not attend his mid-week service at his church, but he wanted to attend church.
The job he had required he had to wear work clothes, and he did not have any dress clothes being out of town on his job.
But he saw a nice church that was having a mid-week service and so he stopped them to worship with them.
When he walked up to this church door in these work clothes one of the ushers met him on the outside and told him that he was not welcome to attend their church without proper dress clothes.
This Christian man got in his old work truck and drove off feeling rejected!!!
Listen, a Christian should wear the best dress clothes they have to the house of God…I AGREE!!!
• But there are some women do not have a pretty dress to wear to church.
• There are some men do not have a suit to wear to the house of God.
Illus: Dr. Odell Belger was witnessing to a waitress one day on her job. He also invited her to church. She said, I would like to come but I do not even have a dress that I can wear to church. Dr. Belger gave her some money to buy a dress. She came to church and the Lord dealt with her. But she did not get saved but she cannot stand before the Lord and said, “I wanted to hear the gospel preached but he would not even buy me a dress so that I could come!
But many Christians when they stand before the Lord:
• Some will say I did not have any transportation, and He/she drove by my house every Sunday and would not carry me to church.
• I did not have anyone to invite me to come to church and hear the gospel preached.
Listen, the purpose of the church is REACH THE LOST, but many Christians are going to give account to God for the weeks and years God gave them on earth they made no effort to reach the lost.
But God’s church is for WHOSOEVER, NOT JUST A BUNCH OF STUFF SHIRTS!
The Lord said, the healthy do not need a physician, it is the sick who needs a physician.
The church is not a hotel for the saints, but a hospital for sinners who need Jesus.
Throughout the scriptures we read where the Lord reach out to the POOR and the RICH!!!
Illus: For example, suppose you were invited to this social event, and all these ladies had their nice gowns and their beautiful hairdos, and all the men were wearing the best clothing available. And you were there, but you noticed over in the corner was a hobo that you knew well, but he was dirty, and you could almost smell him across the room. How would you feel about walking away from all the society people at this event, and walking over to him and putting your arm around his shoulder, and looking him in the eyes and saying, “How are you, it is so good to have you come?”
This is exactly what the Lord Jesus did. The Lord went to this tax collector, showing us that He will reach out to anyone.
Illus: If the Lord is willing to reach out to ANYONE just who do we THINK WE ARE to good to reach to ANYONE!!!
Even a TAX COLLECTOR who was the most un-popular man in town!!!
However, just because Matthew was a tax collector, does not mean he was a thief. But the fact that he was a tax collector branded him as one of the bad ones.
Isn’t it amazing how we can take one person and brand a group of people.
• Some can find one bad black person who is ungodly, and some people will brand the whole black race as bad!
• Some can find one bad Latino, and some will brand the whole race of Latinos as bad
• Some can find one hypocrite in the church and brand all Christians as hypocrites.
• Some can find one crooked policeman and they will brand all policemen are as crooked.
• One can find one crooked politician and brand all politicians as crooked.
• One crooked doctor can make all doctors are bad
• Some can find one crooked preacher brand all preachers crooked.
Illus: In December of 2002, the “Hannity and Colmes” show on the Fox News Channel was dealing with the problem of the child molesting Priests that have been exposed. Sean Hannity, who is a Catholic, told another Catholic on the show that the Catholic church has got to expel these bad priests because they make all priest to be child molesters.
Matthew might have been a good tax collector, but he was branded with a bunch of crooked tax collectors!
From all the evidence in the scriptures, Levi was not a crooked tax collector.
WHY DO WE SAY THAT?
Because we do not read anywhere that the Lord required, he make restitution. If you remember, when it came to Zacchaeus who was a crooked tax collector, this is something that is mentioned
But let’s look at this situation with Matthew more closely.
We have a scene where Jesus is walking, and he comes across the tax booth that Matthew is manning. Jesus sees Matthew and tells him to close his office and calls him to follow Him.
WHAT DOES THIS CALLING MEAN?
Does this mean that when you become a Christian you have to quit your job?
No! But for some people, the answer is yes.
Matthew was being called to full-time service with Jesus.
But because Matthew had to leave his job did not mean he would have to forsake his friends.
Instead, Matthew wanted HIS OLD FRIENDS to meet HIS NEW FRIEND THE LORD JESUS!!!
WHAT DID HE DO?
He threw a party.
Look at verse 29, we read, “And Levi made him a great feast in his own house: and there was a great company of publicans and of others that sat down with them.”
WHY DID HE THROW A PARTY?
• To let his friends get to know Jesus
• To celebrate his decision to follow Jesus
What better way to celebrate than to introduce your friends to Jesus!
Illus: A Christian couple in Columbia, S.C. often have a special dinner at their home, and they invite a lost couple to come to their home and enjoy this special dinner with them. And why they are eating this special meal they witness to them about Jesus.
He saved you, wouldn’t it be wonderful if all of your friends were able to experience the gift of salvation?
The religious leaders were taking note of the fact that Jesus was eating and drinking with the sinners and tax collectors.
Look at verse 30, we read, “But the scribes and Pharisees murmured against his disciples, saying, Why do ye eat and drink with publicans and sinners?”
Matthew was wise enough to understand that when the Lord was calling him into full time service, he was not calling him to forsake his unsaved friends.
He threw this party so he could give his friends and family a chance to get to know the Lord.
How else could Jesus reach them, unless He made some contact with them?
Today, if you have been a Christian for some time, how many people do you spend time with who are not Christians? We cannot reach them if we have no contact with them.
This does not mean that we should go hang out with the fellows at the bar, but it means that we make contact at work, or we go to dinner with people.
We do not want to go into a place that will destroy our testimony and lead us to sin against God.
We have looked at THE MISUNDERSTANDING, and now let’s look at-
II. HIS MESSAGE
Look at Luke 5: 31-32, we read, “And Jesus answering said unto them, They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”
The Pharisees MISUNDERSTOOD what He came for. But the Lord makes it clear as to why He came. He came to save sinners.
• Jesus was not hard hearted toward people, and neither should we be
• Jesus did not look at lost people as the enemy, but as victims of the enemy.
God’s Word in Ephesians 4:32 tells us to BE YE KIND, TENDERHEART AND FOGIVING.
(1)Let me ask you a question…
Illus: When you hear a sirene from a Fire truck or are an ambulance it MEANS SOMEONE IS IN TROUBLE what do you do?
Do you ignore the sirene?
To be tenderhearted would be to say a prayer for someone in need.
(2)Let me ask you another question…
What do you do when you driving down a highway and you see a car wreck?
Do you ignore the car wreck as if it did not exist? To be tender hearted you recognize someone is in trouble and you whisper a prayer for them.
(3) Let me ask you another question…
When we see someone that Satan is doing everything he can do to send that soul to hell what do you do? To be tenderhearted would be to REACH OUT TO THEM prayer!
We need to look at every lost person we see, as someone who needs Jesus. No matter what they have done or said to us in the past, we need to try to take Jesus to them.
It should concern us greatly when:
• Weeks go by and no one has gotten saved in our lives and in this church.
• Weeks go by and no one has been baptized in this church.
• Weeks go by and one has been added to the membership of this church.
The Lord Jesus has set the goal of this church and that is REACH SOULS FOR CHRIST.
Conclusion:
This is an important parable because it teaches us many things as a Bible-believing church.
(1) It teaches us that the some churches today, like the Scribe and Pharisees, has been DERAILED from the purpose of the church.
(2) It teaches us as a church, that if we are going to reach sinners, we need to be involved with people with lost people who need to be saved.
Illus: I am not a fishermen, but I know one thing about fishing! That is, to catch fish you have to go where they are, they are not going to come to us sitting in our recliner in our living rooms!!!
We have looked at:
I. HIS MISUNDERSTANDING
II. HIS MESSAGE
