3rd Sunday after Pentecost
Proper 5
Matthew 9:9-13
"The Journey from Sinner to Saint!"
"As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax office; and he said to him, "Follow me." And he rose and followed him. And as he sat at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Jesus and his disciples. And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?" But when he heard it, he said, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means, ’I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners."" Matthew 9:9-13, RSV.
Grace and peace to you from our Lord, Jesus who is the Christ. Amen
The first paragraph of our gospel lesson is a beautiful picture of a journey, a journey which Matthew walked as Jesus called him from of life of a nonbeliever, from a life of a sinner, to a life as a saint, a follower of Jesus. This call of Jesus began a process in Matthew’s life, in which a transformation began to take shape. A transformation which changed and continued to change him from a sinner to a saint. This did not happen all at once,because as Luther says, we are "saint and sinner at the same time." But we are always in motion, moving, changing, becoming more of the saint and less of the sinner. We will finally reach that sainthood in the rooms that Jesus has prepared for us in the Father’s mansion. As Paul says, God’s Spirit works with our Spirit so we might become heirs and children of God.
In these four lines, we have a picture of a process beginning, of a man becoming what God intends for each of us. We have a picture of our lives as Christ has called us to that same journey.
The journey begins with Jesus seeing or confronting Matthew, or Levi in the tax office. I can imagine Jesus coming into that office, sitting in a chair opposite Matthew, looking him right in the eyes, face to face, heart to heart, soul to soul. There was no ignoring Jesus, no getting away from Him, Jesus was right there, a man to man confrontation, something had to give.
Now, many people have asked me why doesn’t Jesus do that today?? Why doesn’t He come face to face with us.?? Why don’t we have a voice from heaven, or a bolt of lightning to confront us with the power of Jesus and God?? Why doesn’t Jesus sit across from me at my kitchen table, drinking coffee and telling me about Himself?? Why doesn’t He show up at coffee time at the cafe, or why doesn’t He drop around the Ice Cream Parlor around 7:30 or 8:00 p.m. for an ice cream cone and visit??
I would like to summit that we do have a confrontation with Jesus, many of them, maybe not a physical confrontation in the same way Matthew did, but we do have a confrontation with Jesus today. He is just as much present with us today, as He was with Matthew in that tax office over 2000 years ago. You and I are confronted by Jesus in ways that we don’t realize or expect.
I would like to suggest we are confronted by Jesus in a variety of ways just as God confronted the people in the Old Testament in a variety of ways. I would like to suggest three ways God confronted the people in the Old Testament and suggest Jesus uses those same means today.
First, if you will recall the story in II Samuel 12:1-7 where Nathan accuses David of his sin in killing Uriah and then his adultery with Bathsheba, we have one way in which God confronted a person, through the voice of another. Nathan was used by God to confront David. Jesus confronts us today in the same manner by using other human beings. We are confronted by another in our sin or with the comforting word of scripture in a time of need or with the power of the gospel in another’s heart to bring that salvation into our lives.
Secondly, recall the story in I Kings 19:11-13, Elijah is running away, he runs to a cave to hid from his killers. God comes to Elijah, not in a mighty wind, or fire, or thunder, or lightening, but in a still small voice. Jesus, I think, encounter, confronts many today, in that still, small quiet voice of our conscious. He speaks to us in our mind’s eye, in our heart, in our soul.
Thirdly, in Acts 2:14-21, Peter is delivering his Pentecost sermon and quickens the hearts of the hearers with His message of salvation through Jesus Christ. Christ still confronts and challenges us with His message through the preached word. Through the word spoken from this and many other pulpits we encounter the gospel message, the saving message of Jesus Christ.
As I reflected on this idea of being confronted by Jesus today, I thought about the many times I have been confronted by Him, because in those situations, there was and is no other to turn to, no other to rely on, no other who could be present with such mercy, love, strength, courage and compassion.
I was confronted by Christ when I was called out at 2 o’clock in the morning to go with the Sheriff to tell a mother and father that their 19 year old son was killed a few hours earlier in a car accident. I believe it was Jesus who confronted me there with His presence to give me the strength, the courage and the ability to minister to those people with His word of comfort at that terrible moment.
I am confronted by Christ each time I hold a baby in my arms at the Baptismal font. I am confronted by Christ, because I believe the only sure, everlasting substance that we can give that child as it grows is Christ.
Or, as I watched a man dying of cancer take his last breath, I was and am confronted by Christ, because in a moment like that, there is no one else, there is nothing else that can ease the pain, soothe the heartache or give hope and courage to the living and the assurance of the power of the resurrection than Jesus Christ.
Or each time I stand in the chancel and join two people together as husband and wife, I am confronted by and with Christ. We cannot guarantee anything in their life together, we cannot see into the future, but we can give the couple, the hope and the promise of Jesus being with them as they walk into the future as husband and wife.
Or as I listen to a widow cry about the loneliness, the sense of feeling abandoned, the sense of having nothing to live for, the anger of having her spouse die leaving her alone to shoulder all the problems of live, I am confronted by Christ. It is Christ and Christ alone who can give strength, courage and hope to the grieving, the lonely and the broken hearted.
Each time I step into the chancel and share the body and blood of Christ, I am confronted by Him, because I know He is truly present and it is very humbling to know that He uses me, a frail, impatient, intense, strong-willed person to bring His presence to you in bread and wine.
You say you would like to have an encounter with Christ, an encounter with God, that you would like to eyeball Him face to face, heart to heart. I say to you, you have, but you either haven’t seen it or felt it, but you have and maybe you need to be more aware, more reflective, more open to His encounters in your life.
The life Jesus called Matthew to, is illustrated in the following story of two Boy Scouts.
"During a hike in the woods,the troop came across an abandoned section of railroad track. Each scout in turn tried to walk the rails, but eventually lost his balance and tumbled off.
Suddenly, two boys after considerable whispering, offered the challenge that they could both walk the entire length of the track without falling off. Encouraged to make good their boast, the two boys jumped up on opposite rails, extended their hands to each other and held on. They walked the entire section of the track with no difficulty. They helped each other from falling off. "
Jesus is calling us into a relationship with Him that is similar. He is asking us to hold on to His hand. He is calling us to rely on Him as we walk the narrow tracks in our lives. He is calling us to rely on Him as we cross the rough spots, as we encounter the curves, as we travel the straight and easy paths, too. Jesus is calling us to follow Him, to allow Him to clasp our hand as we walk the road of life. He is calling us to follow Him, to allow Him to do the leading, the guiding.
But sadly,I think, many of us are like the fish in the following. "There is a legend about a little fish who overheard a fisherman say that a fish needed water to live. The little fish became worried and started hunting for water. He swam from creek to river, to the seven seas. One time he met a big, old wise fish who saw how worried the little fish was and asked what the trouble was. The little fish said that he was looking for water because he heard the fisherman say that a fish cannot live without water. The big fish laughed and said," O little fish, why are you worried. Don’t you know that you are in the water all the time???"
Maybe it is time for us who have been in church from the moment of our Baptism to the present moment: to wake up and realize who we are?
We are called by Christ to follow Him.
The following riddle describes many of us at one time of another. Listen and try to figure out who the riddle is speaking about. The answer will come at the conclusion.
" He is always there, usually down in front. He is uninspiring, nonpaying, silent, but disturbing. He is the moral enemy of the preacher....He never helps with the singing, never responds to the invitation to come and eat and drink at the Lord’s table; he just sits there. He robs the preacher of his power, takes the joy out of a song, and steals melody out of music....He chills the saint and cheers the sinner. He doesn’t whisper, he doesn’t squirm, he never looks at a clock. He just sits.....He is visible and a living testimony that someone doesn’t care. He is evidence of spiritual degeneracy....... He advertises better than a billboard the indifference of our church people.......He is where people sit who are present, "in spirit"........He is a stabbing pain to our Master and a delight to Satan..........He cannot be moved...... The only way to get rid of him is to fill him. Who is he???????
HE IS THE EMPTY SEAT!! 1
There is a story about Martin Luther "who dreamed that the devil was listening to reports from his agents on the progress they were making against the Kingdom of God. One reported,’A band of Christians was crossing the desert and I loosed the lions on them and all were lost." The devil replied,’What good was that? Their bodies were lost, but their souls were saved. I want their souls.!!’ Another little devil reported that a band of Christians were crossing the sea. He sent a strong wind and caused the ship to go on the rocks and all were lost. Satan again said that was nothing because though their bodies were lost he wanted their souls. A third devil reported that after years of trying, he finally managed to put the church to sleep. At this, the corridors of hell rang with the shouts of tremendous triumph!!!’
Maybe, just maybe, we can renew that call of Jesus in our lives to awaken again the power, the courage, the strength, the witnessing, the excitement that the early church felt, knew and understood as it followed Jesus. Maybe there is a sleeping giant that needs to be awaken in the church. A giant who will not be afraid to follow its leader Christ into the challenges of life, into the brokenness of the world, into the lives of those who are waiting, and hoping someone will come with a message of good news, a message of peace and reconciliation.
Amen
Written by Pastor Tim Zingale May 30, 2005
1From the Bible Baptist Pulpit.
