Tax Collectors and Sinners

Part 2

24^th November 2012

Matthew 9v9-13
As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector's booth. "Follow me," he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him.
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'?"
On hearing this, Jesus said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."

(Continuing from last week)

In response to the incredible, graceful words of Jesus, Matthew left his job and became a disciple. And the first thing he did was throw a party. I expect he wanted to give others an opportunity to meet Jesus. And who did he invite? He invited his friends, of course. Some of his friends were other tax collectors, and some were what the Bible calls "sinners". Of course, we're all sinners, but I think that "sinners" here probably means "sexually immoral people".

I expect the Scribes and Pharisees were appalled. What outraged them most are the same things that outrage most "nice" Christian people today - sex and money. Many Christians will ignore your sins, as long as those sins don't involve sex or money. And many Christians will pretty much ignore their own sins, so long as they don't involve sex or money. All the cruelty, all the disloyalty, all the backbiting, all the gossip, all the lying, all the laziness, all the indifference, seems to be OK, as if that's not a big deal, as if it's not real sin like adultery and stealing.

The Scribes and Pharisees saw what was going on, and they demanded of Jesus's disciples "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and 'sinners'?" Why would nice Christian people associate with people with sexual and financial sins? You're supposed to be nice people! Shouldn't nice people associate with other nice people?

Jesus heard this, and He answered them, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick". Imagine your local surgery, with a waiting room full of people. The doctors see the crowd of people and they start work. The first person goes into a doctors' room. The doctor asks, "What seems to be the trouble?" The person replies, "No trouble, doctor, I'm perfectly well, thank you" and leaves. The second person goes in, and the doctor asks, "What seems to be the trouble?" The person replies, "I'm absolutely fine, thanks, doctor". The doctor asks, "So why are you here?" and the person replies, "I've come because I'm well. In fact, I'm in very good health". How long would it be before the doctors said, "This is ludicrous! I'm not here to treat well people. I'm here to treat sick people!" There are a lot of sick people around, and the doctors are very busy. Why would healthy people waste their time?

Of course healthy people wouldn't go to see the doctor. So, may I ask a question: why do good people go to church? What's the point? Isn't it a complete waste of time? The church isn't here for good people; it's for sinners. Jesus said, "I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners". If you're a good person, Jesus didn't come to call you.

The truth is, there are no good people (Romans 3v10). There are people who think they're better than other people, but this just makes them guilty of one extra sin - the sin of pride.

We're all sick. Some are sick physically. Others have real emotional or relational sickness: in our lives, in our families, in other relationships. But every one of us is sick spiritually. Every one of us still sins. We still need Jesus to heal us, so we come to church.

One of the greatest and most powerful lies ever told is the idea that we Christians think that we're the good people. The real truth is; if we didn't know that we were the sinful ones, we wouldn't be in church. We come for the mercy of God, not for a pat on the back from God, telling us how wonderful we are.

I'm not a good man. I'm not as bad as I was, because of the grace of God and the sanctifying power of the Holy Spirit at work in me, but I'm not a good man. I don't steal from the offering plate, and I don't sleep with the congregation, but I'm not a good man.

If you're a good person, Jesus didn't come to call you. But if you're a sinner, and prepared to admit that you're a sinner, and if you want to be forgiven, and to change, then Jesus came for you. And He welcomes you with open arms, whatever you've done.

Whatever Matthew had done, he was welcome, because he wanted to change, and he believed in Jesus. Do you want to change? And do you believe in Jesus? Then you're welcome!

To be continued.