the calling of mathew and the calling of us

⁹ As Jesus passed on from there, He saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, “Follow Me.” So he arose and followed Him.

¹⁰ Now it happened, as Jesus sat at the table in the house, that behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Him and His disciples. ¹¹ And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to His disciples, “Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”

¹² When Jesus heard that, He said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. ¹³ But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’ For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”¹

Note Jesus saud he has called sinners to repentance. No he did not say just beilieve but the Lord is calling to repent or turn from sin.

The call of Matthew is in the context of his having been a tax collector. For Jesus to enjoy the hospitality of his home and friends sets the stage for Jesus to be known as a friend of publicans and sinners. His calling Matthew to be a disciple places the authority of Christ over occupation. We have one vocation as followers of Jesus and that is to be disciples. This vocation supplies the directive for choice of occupation as well as for the character of our work in an acceptable occupation. The first three Gospels refer to the calling of Matthew to follow Jesus. However, Mark and Luke refer to him as Levi. Only here do we have the designation “Matthew,” suggesting that he had a direct relation to the writing of this Gospel. Matthew was at the “tax office” or the place of toll, and upon Jesus’ call he arose and followed Him. He paid a unique price, for since a number of the other disciples were fishermen they could return to their nets, but for Matthew to leave his post meant “no turning back.”

There was nothing secretive about Matthew’s decision to be a disciple, for he openly invited his friends to his spacious home for a dinner with Jesus. They are referred to as publicans (tax collectors) and sinners (persons careless about ceremonial laws), and are set in contrast with the Pharisees who were the Separatists of Jesus’ day (priding themselves in their righteousness). Jesus demonstrated love and acceptance by His willingness to sit down with sinners and associate with them. This is friendship evangelism, for we cannot win sinners to the Lord if we keep ourselves aloof from them.

The Pharisees were asking Jesus’ disciples about His association with sinners, and when Jesus heard it, He answered His critics with two statements. First, “They that are whole need no physician, but they that are sick” (kjv) was Jesus’ word that He came to save sinners. His mission opens the door to all, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23, kjv). Second, Jesus called these religious persons to read their Scriptures, noting Hosea 6:6, that God desires mercy rather than sacrifices, a forgiving spirit more than legal demands or religious rites. The Master’s conclusion was that He is calling the sinful to repentance—a word hard to hear for the self-righteous. Since Matthew was working for Rome, specifically for Herod, his friends no doubt included Gentiles, a factor which adds breadth to the meaning of Jesus’ invitation to sinners.

An outline for presenting a meditation on Friendship Evangelism is suggested as follows: (1) Jesus asked persons of any walk to follow Him, vv. 9–10; (2) Jesus associated with sinners to win them to God, vv. 11–12; and (3) Jesus actualized the extension of God’s mercy to all people, v. 13.

²

Then He quoted from the book of Hosea, which is all about mercy, to show that His behavior should be the norm for all of God’s people. In Hosea 6:6, God declares, “I desire mercy and not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.” By quoting this verse, Jesus was saying, in essence: “I’m on a mission of mercy. I didn’t come to bring judgment on the world. My Father is a God of justice, and He will visit justice upon this world in His time. But My Father always tempers His justice with mercy. You should not think that you satisfy the desires of My Father if you merely go to the synagogue, pay your tithes, and give your sacrifices. I want my people to be people of mercy.” Christ has not commanded us to shake our fingers at every sinner and every outcast of our society. He has called us to a ministry of mercy. That is what He did, and that is what He wants us to do.³

Jesus does not want you to work bhy going to church and being good. He needs you be mercy and to give to people who need mercy and grace.

Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices,

As in obeying the voice of the Lord?

Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,

And to heed than the fat of rams.⁴

God does not want your money but he wants you to obey what he is telling you to do. If the people tell you Gay is okay you see what Jesus said and follow Him not the world. If the Bible said that you be kind to people and the world said said be mean you do as the bible tells you.

Matthew left it behind. What do I need to leave to be closer to Jesus\?

1 Augsburger, M. S., & Ogilvie, L. J. (1982). Matthew (Vol. 24, p. 18). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.

2 Augsburger, M. S., & Ogilvie, L. J. (1982). Matthew (Vol. 24, p. 18). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.

3 Sproul, R. C. (2013). Matthew (p. 273). Wheaton, IL: Crossway.

4 The New King James Version. (1982). (1 Sa 15:22). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.