Matthew 9:9-13 Jesus only came for Sinners
A lady in her 50’s was referred to my surgical clinic with intermittent abdominal pains. She returned to the clinic to learn the result of a Barium enema she had recently had. This had showed she had a carcinoma of the transverse colon. However when there problem was explained and that she needed an operation she flatly refused.
“I don’t feel bad enough for that. I would prefer to try ‘natural remedies’.”
My nurse and I did our best to persuade her but she was adamant. I saw her again six months later when she was admitted with intestinal obstruction. Her remedies had certainly not helped.
This story that Matthew shares with us makes it clear who Jesus came for - only those who see their need.
A sinner follows Jesus
Jesus had returned to Galilee and was now in Capernaum, his home town at the north end of the Sea of Galilee. Jesus had just healed a paralysed man after first telling him that his sins had been forgiven. After this event Jesus was walking with his disciples when he saw a taxman in his booth.
“As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth.” Matthew 9:9
In the 1st century in Israel tax collectors were despised outcasts. They were Jews who did the dirty work for the Romans and collected taxes for them. They regularly overcharged, that was how they made their money, and sometimes used non-friendly means to ensure the money was paid. It is no wonder they were a hated group of people.
Who is it that people dislike today? In some areas it is immigrants from overseas, for some it is politicians, for others the police. More likely it is that nasty person at work, that unkind neighbour, the loan sharks, or those fraudsters preying on others through the internet.
You can imagine what the onlookers would be thinking as they saw Jesus talking with this despised man, Matthew. Would he tell him in no uncertain terms how despicable and disloyal his way if life was? Jesus instead does something very different. I suspect he smiled kindly at him before he said:
“‘Follow me,’ he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him.” Matthew 9:9
Again we are not told what Matthew knew about Jesus but when someone of his reputation asks a person like him to join his group the appeal must have been attractive, even if costly. He immediately follows Jesus.
Why does Matthew insert this short biographical detail? He has already told us about the calming of the storm, how a wild demoniac had been saved and how a paralytic had walked. These were all very dramatic but this event seems at first sight so insignificant. We will see that the reason for its inclusion is very important. In chapter 8 Matthew tells us what it means to be a follower of Jesus. They may be worldly insecurity and our priorities in life will be different:
“Then a teacher of the law came to him and said, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” Another disciple said to him, ‘Lord, first let me go and bury my father.’ But Jesus told him, ‘Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.’” Matthew 8:19-22
Matthew wants us all to understand this change in what matters most - pleasing Jesus becomes our priority because he is God. Christians have left their old life because this is what Jesus insists on. We now follow him. Paul said the same:
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” 2 Corinthians 5:17
In the opening story of chapter 9 we learn that Jesus has the authority that only God has, to forgive a person’s sin and then enable him to walk. Matthew records:
“Then the man got up and went home.” Matthew 9:7
When he heard Jesus call him to become one of his followers, Matthew records
“Matthew got up and followed him.”
The next event we read occurs in Matthew’s home which he uses to introduce others to his lord and Saviour. These are not insignificant events, they are the most important event anyone can have in life. To follow Jesus is utterly life-changing.
To be healed by Jesus of a physical infirmity must have been thrilling but then other problems will come along, they will become ill later and then have to die. To be healed spiritually is much greater. This benefits a person into eternity. To have helped people surgically is a great thrill, their life can be extended and have a better quality, but again nothing matters so much as helping people spiritually so that they put their trust in him. Christian doctors and nurses need to learn this from Jesus.
This short story is amazing. A person who is hated by many in society is accepted by Jesus and asked to start a new life following him. This rogue is accepted by God and empowered to life a new life.
This gospel wants us to understand that if we are following Jesus we have been forgiven all our sin and have been accepted into God’s eternal kingdom and family.
Matthew longs for his friends to meet Jesus
The first thing we read that Matthew does is to organise a meal to which he invites those friends he has. These would undoubtedly be other tax-collectors and those respectable society had rejected. He wants them to meet Jesus too.
“While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples.When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, ‘Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?’” Matthew 9:10-11
The Pharisees pointedly said ‘your teacher’, they profoundly disliked what he was teaching.
Wanting to serve Jesus is always a mark of those who love him. Jesus said
“You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit - fruit that will last . . ..This is my command: Love each other.” John 15:17
Loving people and sharing the news about Jesus is a dynamic combination.
“. . . the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father - he will testify about me.And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning.” John 15:26-27
This is the Great Commission Jesus has given to us, his church:
“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20
In the 5th chapter of Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians he keeps stressing that this is a major reason we have been chosen:
“For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.
So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come:[a] The old has gone, the new is here! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them.
And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” 2 Corinthians 5:14-21
The Messianic Banquet
In South Africa and in many countries of the world there are certain areas that no sensible person would wander into. Even police stay away.
In Israel in Jesus’ time no respectable Jew would mix with the unholy or with Gentiles because they would become ‘unclean’. Yet these are the actions Jesus repeatedly does, he touches lepers, cares for a centurion’s servant, goes out of his way to meet a Samaritan woman and forgives an adulteress. This is another example, Jesus accepts the invitation to meet the ‘degenerates of society’, Matthew’s friends.
Why is this being emphasised? To lie down and eat a meal with people is one of the best ways to show you want to associate with them. The gift of hospitality is a prerequisite for those who are church leaders but it is the best way to help people come to Christ. Our homes show people what we really value. Twice in this short section we read that Jesus ‘ate with them’.
There, in Capernaum, in Matthew’s home we have a glimpse of the Messianic banquet that is frequently talked about in Scripture. At this banquet God’s people will relax and eat in the presence of God. The Messianic banquet is a central theme in Scripture representing ultimate communion with God. It is introduced in the Old Testament as a feast of victory and is expanded in the New Testament as the heavenly wedding supper.
Old Testament
Isaiah gives us a foundational passage that describes the Lord preparing a rich feast on Mount Zion for people of all nations who have trusted him, where He will swallow up death forever and wipe away all tears
"On this mountain the Lord Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples, a banquet of aged wine - the best of meats and the finest of wines. On this mountain he will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations; he will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove his people’s disgrace from all the earth. The Lord has spoken.
In that day they will say, “Surely this is our God; we trusted in him, and he saved us. This is the Lord, we trusted in him; let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation.” Isaiah 25:6-9
In Exodus we read that the elders of Israel ascended the mountain and saw God, and this culminated in a covenant meal together in His presence.
"Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and the seventy elders of Israel went up and saw the God of Israel. Under his feet was something like a pavement made of lapis lazuli, as bright blue as the sky. But God did not raise his hand against these leaders of the Israelites; they saw God, and they ate and drank." Exodus 24:9-11
New Testament
In the New Testament Jesus tells several parables about this feast:
Luke 14:15-24: Jesus tells the Parable of the Great Banquet in response to someone exclaiming, "Blessed is the man who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God."
Matthew 22:1-14: The Parable of the Wedding Banquet further illustrates the kingdom of God as a celebration open to all who accept the invitation.
Matthew 8:11: Jesus speaks of many coming from the east and west to "take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven."
Revelation 3:20: Those who respond to the personal invitation of the Lord Jesus into their life will be rewarded with Jesus dining with us.
Revelation 19:6-9: The ultimate fulfilment of this concept is described as the "wedding supper of the Lamb," where the righteous are invited to celebrate the eternal union of Christ and the Church.
The Physician’s role
Jesus mixed with all people, including the outcasts of society in order to help them. Jesus is dining with these renegades of society, together with some disciples. This meal might have been in the open air as some Pharisees saw what was going on:
“While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples.When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, ‘Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?’” Matthew 9:10-11
Remember the Pharisees were not moral baddies, that was Matthew. The Pharisees loved the Bible, they were morally upstanding. In contrast the tax collectors were an immoral, money grabbing, greedy people who like to rip people off. So their question about why Jesus would want to mix with such a crowd is valid. They were really asking:
“Don’t you realise what sort of people these are?”
The reply of Jesus is beautiful:
“It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.” Matthew 9:12
Why does Jesus reply with such an obvious answer? In chapters 8 and 9 Jesus healed a leper, two paralytics and a woman with a high fever, that is the physically sick. We read that people brought large numbers of ill people to Jesus to be healed. Jesus wants us all to learn that the root problem is our sin, our wilful independence from God and the way he wants us to live. Jesus came to deal with both our sicknesses and our sin by taking them on himself on that cross.
What does verse 12 mean by the ‘healthy’? He is not talking about those he has healed. He is referring to those who don’t think they need a doctor because they regard themselves as being healthy. God sees what is in the heart of each of us.
“But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.’” Matthew 9:13
The Christian gospel can only appeal to those who recognise the problem they have. The ‘righteous’ are those who think they are alright but have not seen themselves as God sees them. We all need to ask ourselves,
“Do I need Jesus?”
Many of us in British churches have a background and upbringing that means we have not done what are outwardly very bad things. Few of us are murderers, robbers, rapists, adulterers and the like. From the way we talk about others we often think of ourselves as having moral and social standards that are slightly above the mass of society. It is so easy to like having Jesus and being a member of a pleasant caring church and as a result it is easy for us to think, deep down, that we do not really need him. Yet Jesus came for us. We are the sick, even if we can’t see this. If Jesus is not the focus of our whole lives we have a major problem.
If we think that we are alright, then Jesus has nothing for us.
Sometimes preachers will be heard saying:
“Jesus is for everyone!”
This is true but only those who see their need will respond to his love and forgiveness. Jesus came to help the lost. He told another tax-collector Zacchaeus, when he had a meal with him in his home precisely why he had come to earth:
“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” Luke 19:10
Jesus wants us all to re-examine our own hearts to see if I have this problem of which he speaks.
We tend to divide people into two groups, the righteous and the sinners. What is even worse is that we can regard the ‘religious’ as the righteous. There was a church in London that had a notice over line of books which said:
“Prayer books for the religious!”
We must all be clear, there are not two categories, ‘the righteous’ and ‘the sinners’ - there is only one category - we are all in ‘the sinners’ group. Jesus is like the specialist who can only help us if we come to him in need.
Our problem
The way Jesus speaks to these Bible scholars is humiliating:
“Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’” Matthew 9:13
Jesus is quoting from the prophet Hosea reminding us of a profound biblical principle.
“For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings.As with Adam, they have broken the covenant; they were unfaithful to me there.” Hosea 6:5-6
The context of this prophecy is a condemnation of the nominal faith that was prevalent at that time, just as it is today. This statement means God values genuine relationship with him which will then result in compassion, love, and a changed heart. Empty religious rituals, legalism, or forced sacrifices mean nothing to God without that underlying love for him.
Samuel said something similar to King Saul after he had disobeyed the orders of God:
“Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has rejected you as king.” 1 Samuel 15:22-23
This phrase highlights the core of God's character. God desires that we show kindness and love to others rather than just going through the motions of religious tradition or observing strict religious rules. It emphasises a desire for ‘steadfast love’ (the Hebrew word hesed) and a personal relationship with Him.
Jesus reminded the Pharisees of this passage when He was criticised for eating with outcasts and sinners. He essentially stated that mercy is meant to heal the broken, not condemn them.
The Old Testament takes the need for sacrifices very seriously. They were necessary for forgiveness. But a religious observance that merely kept the outward rituals, without the love for God that should be key, misses the point. Such religion is a mere empty shell. It may look impressive but there is no life.
This lesson is important for church-goers to hear today:
“For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than religious rituals.”
The character of those who are filled with God’s Spirit will demonstrate God’s character. God defined this to Moses on Mount Sinai:
“The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness,maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished. . . “ Exodus 34:6-7
Jesus demonstrated exactly the same grace and love of his father for repentant sinners:
“When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” Matthew 9:36
When the religious come to Jesus and see how much he loves people of dubious character, will they display this same love to others? If I have grasped that I too am a sinner and that God has shown his mercy to me, then I must also have the priority of showing this love to others. Jesus’ followers should also be able to say”
“I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” Matthew 9:13
How do we treat those we are tempted to look down on? How do we treat those society looks down on? How do we treat those who have wronged us.? Do we organise our lives so we only spend time with nice people or do we care for the spiritually sick? The Spirit of God is seen in Jesus. If we think like the Pharisees and think, deep down, that we are better than most, we are really saying we don’t need Jesus. The effect of thinking this way will be that we don’t prioritise sharing the good news about Jesus with others.
The reality, however, is that we are all sick sinners who need God’s constant help. We need Jesus. God has called us to be very different to those around us, we are here to demonstrate his love and compassion to all so that they can be saved.
BVP
This article has been posted on the wrist www.bvpslmer.com where there are many other articles on a wide range of topics from a Christian perspective.
Christchurch Baldock is a Bible teaching, gospel centred, local church. More details can be found on its website. It meets every Sunday morning at 10.30 am in Knights Templar School, Baldock
Bernard can be contacted at berniepalmer1@sky.com
