January 28, 2010
All in
Matthew 9:9-17
Kate Gilpin
Central Truth
It’s only weird if He’s not God.
Key Verse | Matthew 9:9
As Jesus went on from there, He saw a man called Matthew, sitting in the tax collector's booth; and He said to him, "Follow Me!" And he got up and followed Him. (Matthew 9:9)
Matthew 9:9-17
Jesus Calls Matthew
9 As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him.
10 And as Jesus 1 9:10 Greek he reclined at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and his disciples. 11 And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” 12 But when he heard it, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 13 Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”
A Question About Fasting
14 Then the disciples of John came to him, saying, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast, 2 9:14 Some manuscripts add much, or often but your disciples do not fast?” 15 And Jesus said to them, “Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast. 16 No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch tears away from the garment, and a worse tear is made. 17 Neither is new wine put into old wineskins. If it is, the skins burst and the wine is spilled and the skins are destroyed. But new wine is put into fresh wineskins, and so both are preserved.”
Dive Deeper | Matthew 9:9-17
When I look at this passage pragmatically, I get hung up on Matthew’s response to Jesus. It’s mysterious and somewhat illogical. We understand from context that Matthew was a man of influence. I view him as a man of intelligence . . . educated, business savvy, wealthy, powerful. If I were to modernize his character, I picture him in a sleek, single-breasted, black, Euro-fit Armani suit, strategizing over a boardroom table with his shrewd business buddies. Just as Matt is in the middle of proposing a new strategy to maximize revenue, Jesus locks in on him. “Follow me!” He says. And Matthew got up and followed.
Matthew, by all appearances, is secure. He’s got money, influence, family, friends, and food on his table. So, what made this man stand up in the middle of his peers, walk off, and follow Jesus?
As I contemplate this, it seems that Matthew acted as a man who had just found something “better.” And unless Jesus is, in fact, the Son of God, I see no logical explanation for Matthew’s immediate and intense response to Jesus’ offer. When Matthew looked at Jesus, he saw God. And he saw himself through God’s eyes becoming acutely aware of his own maladies and desperate need for a Savior, a need that worldly success (or a “good life”) can never satisfy.
I was young when I came to believe in Jesus as the Son of God and as Savior. Since then, I, like Matthew, have had time (and the blessing) to experience the joys of this world: success, love, friends, family, popularity, and pleasure. And I truly understand why Matthew got up. While these are all good things, they’re never enough. A successful life is not enough to reestablish us with a holy God, but Jesus is. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” (John 3:16) Jesus offered, and Matthew acknowledged his need and followed after Him. It makes perfect sense when you consider Who’s offering.
Discussion Questions
1. Have you contemplated the deity of Jesus? Have you sought to know if He was just a man/prophet, or if He is God’s Son and His love response to your need for a savior?
2. If you believe Jesus to be God’s Son, have you considered His offer to follow Him and receive eternal life?
3. Matthew’s ardent response to Jesus so powerfully impacted his colleagues and friends that they, too, were compelled to come meet Jesus, and many followed after Him. (Mark 2:15) If you believe in Jesus as your savior, does your life reflect the passionate ardor of a freed slave insomuch that your colleagues and friends, too, are compelled to meet Him?
FAMILY DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. What is mercy? (Mercy is not getting the punishment you deserve.)
2. What does it mean to show mercy to others?