Mercy! -- Matthew 9:9-13
Mercy! -- Matthew 9:9-13
By Pastor Lee Hemen
September 1, 2019
When the great Puritan preacher Thomas Hooker (1586-1647) was on his deathbed, a friend tried to console him by saying, “Brother Hooker, you are going to receive your reward.” “No, no!” he breathed. “I go to receive mercy!” What is this mercy Hooker longed to receive?
God’s mercy is found in every act of Jesus, his every kindness, and especially in the unmerited favor we find when we come to him as Savior and Lord. It is sacrificial in its very nature. We set aside ourselves, our desires, and our needs to give everything to another just as Jesus did when he willingly sacrificed himself for our sins. Here we find Matthew a tax collector who others felt did not deserve God’s favor finding it in the unlikely place. Matthew finds mercy. Let’s see how…
READ: Matthew 9:9-13
In our pride we think we know it all or have all the answers but we do not. In fact we discover that…
I. Mercy is found in submission! (Vv. 9)
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.
1. We never know when Jesus might call us to follow him but when he does we have to be willing to get up and go where he leads. Matthew’s day began as all other days had begun. He prepared himself for the day’s rigors of collecting taxes from a disagreeable crowd. No one liked tax collectors and especially ones who were Jewish that had gained their position by bribing themselves into the position. Matthew evidently did not care or tried to push away the thoughts of what others thought of him. He would face ridicule, anger, and obstinacy. Some would pay begrudgingly while others would beg for his mercy because they did not have the means to pay their taxes. And Matthew would have to turn a blind eye and ear to their pleas. Little did Matthew know it but this day would be different because Jesus was in the crowd and when “he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth.” Matthew’s life was about to be changed forever. Mercy, God’s grace, was going to find Matthew. “Follow me,” Jesus tells him; two simple words that would require Matthew’s immediate response. And to his credit “Matthew got up and followed him”! Matthew had a lucrative business collecting taxes on customs paid probably at the ports, in this case, Capernaum. I am sure Matthew was a pragmatist, a realist, and a practical person, and yet he willingly gets up and follows Jesus. Perhaps Matthew had longed for someone to recognize him, to look at him as he truly was, and Jesus did just that in that moment. And we discover along with Matthew that mercy is found in submission!
EXAMPLE: In olden days when entering the presence of a king one would bow down and bare their necks to the king’s personal guard. From this act of contrition we developed the whole notion of genuflection whereby there are those who think that by bowing before an altar they are submitting themselves to God’s authority. Sorry to burst their bubble but they are not. In fact they are trying to substitute an act of theirs with the mercy of God. Here we discover that mercy is found in submission!
Mercy by its definition cannot be bought or sold and it cannot be found vicariously through heritage, DNA, or by being nice. In fact we discover here that…
II. Mercy is displayed by relationship! (Vv. 10-11)
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?”
1. Matthew’s day had started like all the rest but it was going to end completely different! He immediately followed Jesus and later becomes one of his disciples but now we find that Matthew has extended a dinner invitation to Jesus and his other disciples. And “While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and ‘sinners’ came and ate with him and his disciples.” The common crowd thought of those who collected taxes as “sinners”; I guess not much has changed. Matthew either wanted his fellow tax-collecting sinners to come to know Jesus as he had or he was more comfortable eating with them instead of Jesus and his disciples. Either way Jesus did not seem to mind in the least. Jesus was comfortable with anyone. Tax collectors, adulteresses, Pharisees, and those he had chosen to follow him! It did not matter to Jesus so long as they came and would listen to what he had to share. However, “When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and ‘sinners?’” Matthew had been one of these “sinners” just as we all are until he came to follow Jesus. Far too many of us agree with the Pharisees and their comments and with Paul when he wrote: “Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. (1 Corinthians 6:9-10 NIV)” Yet Paul reminds us: “And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. (1 Corinthians 6:11 NIV)” Paul, like Jesus, knew that the only difference between a sinner and a saint is their relationship! We discover that mercy is displayed by relationship!
EXAMPLE: When a man was asked by a friend how his mother was getting along, he was told that dementia had robbed her of the ability to remember a great many names and events from the past. “Even so,” the man added, “she can still sit down at the piano and, without sheet music, beautifully play hymns by memory.” In her life she had developed a deep abiding relationship with playing hymns. For her it was a comfort and became even more so after she lost much of her memory. We might say that “God is merciful” but in fact we discover that mercy is displayed by relationship!
I confess that there are some people I have a hard time with. Those who I know are deliberately lying to me are the hardest for me to deal with. I have to remind myself to b gracious in such circumstances and I remind myself that…
III. Jesus desires to give mercy! (Vv. 12-13)
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.”
1. Believers say they want others to come to Jesus but few actually share their faith so others can do so. There are many reasons for this from fear of being rejected to just plain laziness. Jesus knew that the crowds who followed him wanted something from him. They wanted to be healed, have their friends or family healed, or they wanted to see a good show. And while Jesus came and healed many there were far more who never were healed. Jesus did not primarily come to heal the sick, make the lame to walk, drive out evil spirits, or resurrect the dead – he came to proclaim the kingdom of God -- to seek and save the lost! Yes, as he went about proclaiming the kingdom is at hand he did all of those things. But perhaps you have forgotten this morning that Jesus did not come so you could be good for goodness sake, have a great worship experience, nor did he come so you could have a good life. Matthew was shocked and surprised that Jesus would ask him to follow him, but he did immediately. The Pharisees and perhaps others were just as surprised that Jesus had called Matthew to be his disciple but just remember that perhaps others around you may have been just as surprised you were called by grace. On hearing the sarcastic words of the Pharisees, Jesus responds, “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.” The Pharisees would never understand because their own sense of selfish piety got in the way of truly hearing God or the cries of the crowd. Dear child of the King I pray this never happens to you. Jesus came for sinners just like Matthew and just like us! We learn from Matthew that Jesus desires to give mercy!
EXAMPLE: When we used to go over to my grandmother’s house she would literally prepare a feast. It was not unusual to find several kinds of meats, potatoes, vegetables, and of course desserts afterwards. She often poured out her love in the food she prepared for her family and what was great about it is the fact that a starving young boy could get all he wanted and more! This is a perfect example of what God did through Jesus, he gave us more than we deserve and abundantly piled it on pressed down shaken together and running over! And the wonderful truth is: Jesus desires to give mercy!
Conclusion:
Mercy is found in submission! Mercy is displayed by relationship! Jesus desires to give mercy!
---
This article is copyrighted © 2019 by Lee Hemen and is the sole property of Lee Hemen, and may not be used unless you quote the entire article and have my permission.
By Pastor Lee Hemen
September 1, 2019
When the great Puritan preacher Thomas Hooker (1586-1647) was on his deathbed, a friend tried to console him by saying, “Brother Hooker, you are going to receive your reward.” “No, no!” he breathed. “I go to receive mercy!” What is this mercy Hooker longed to receive?
God’s mercy is found in every act of Jesus, his every kindness, and especially in the unmerited favor we find when we come to him as Savior and Lord. It is sacrificial in its very nature. We set aside ourselves, our desires, and our needs to give everything to another just as Jesus did when he willingly sacrificed himself for our sins. Here we find Matthew a tax collector who others felt did not deserve God’s favor finding it in the unlikely place. Matthew finds mercy. Let’s see how…
READ: Matthew 9:9-13
In our pride we think we know it all or have all the answers but we do not. In fact we discover that…
I. Mercy is found in submission! (Vv. 9)
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.
1. We never know when Jesus might call us to follow him but when he does we have to be willing to get up and go where he leads. Matthew’s day began as all other days had begun. He prepared himself for the day’s rigors of collecting taxes from a disagreeable crowd. No one liked tax collectors and especially ones who were Jewish that had gained their position by bribing themselves into the position. Matthew evidently did not care or tried to push away the thoughts of what others thought of him. He would face ridicule, anger, and obstinacy. Some would pay begrudgingly while others would beg for his mercy because they did not have the means to pay their taxes. And Matthew would have to turn a blind eye and ear to their pleas. Little did Matthew know it but this day would be different because Jesus was in the crowd and when “he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth.” Matthew’s life was about to be changed forever. Mercy, God’s grace, was going to find Matthew. “Follow me,” Jesus tells him; two simple words that would require Matthew’s immediate response. And to his credit “Matthew got up and followed him”! Matthew had a lucrative business collecting taxes on customs paid probably at the ports, in this case, Capernaum. I am sure Matthew was a pragmatist, a realist, and a practical person, and yet he willingly gets up and follows Jesus. Perhaps Matthew had longed for someone to recognize him, to look at him as he truly was, and Jesus did just that in that moment. And we discover along with Matthew that mercy is found in submission!
EXAMPLE: In olden days when entering the presence of a king one would bow down and bare their necks to the king’s personal guard. From this act of contrition we developed the whole notion of genuflection whereby there are those who think that by bowing before an altar they are submitting themselves to God’s authority. Sorry to burst their bubble but they are not. In fact they are trying to substitute an act of theirs with the mercy of God. Here we discover that mercy is found in submission!
Mercy by its definition cannot be bought or sold and it cannot be found vicariously through heritage, DNA, or by being nice. In fact we discover here that…
II. Mercy is displayed by relationship! (Vv. 10-11)
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?”
1. Matthew’s day had started like all the rest but it was going to end completely different! He immediately followed Jesus and later becomes one of his disciples but now we find that Matthew has extended a dinner invitation to Jesus and his other disciples. And “While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and ‘sinners’ came and ate with him and his disciples.” The common crowd thought of those who collected taxes as “sinners”; I guess not much has changed. Matthew either wanted his fellow tax-collecting sinners to come to know Jesus as he had or he was more comfortable eating with them instead of Jesus and his disciples. Either way Jesus did not seem to mind in the least. Jesus was comfortable with anyone. Tax collectors, adulteresses, Pharisees, and those he had chosen to follow him! It did not matter to Jesus so long as they came and would listen to what he had to share. However, “When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and ‘sinners?’” Matthew had been one of these “sinners” just as we all are until he came to follow Jesus. Far too many of us agree with the Pharisees and their comments and with Paul when he wrote: “Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. (1 Corinthians 6:9-10 NIV)” Yet Paul reminds us: “And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. (1 Corinthians 6:11 NIV)” Paul, like Jesus, knew that the only difference between a sinner and a saint is their relationship! We discover that mercy is displayed by relationship!
EXAMPLE: When a man was asked by a friend how his mother was getting along, he was told that dementia had robbed her of the ability to remember a great many names and events from the past. “Even so,” the man added, “she can still sit down at the piano and, without sheet music, beautifully play hymns by memory.” In her life she had developed a deep abiding relationship with playing hymns. For her it was a comfort and became even more so after she lost much of her memory. We might say that “God is merciful” but in fact we discover that mercy is displayed by relationship!
I confess that there are some people I have a hard time with. Those who I know are deliberately lying to me are the hardest for me to deal with. I have to remind myself to b gracious in such circumstances and I remind myself that…
III. Jesus desires to give mercy! (Vv. 12-13)
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.”
1. Believers say they want others to come to Jesus but few actually share their faith so others can do so. There are many reasons for this from fear of being rejected to just plain laziness. Jesus knew that the crowds who followed him wanted something from him. They wanted to be healed, have their friends or family healed, or they wanted to see a good show. And while Jesus came and healed many there were far more who never were healed. Jesus did not primarily come to heal the sick, make the lame to walk, drive out evil spirits, or resurrect the dead – he came to proclaim the kingdom of God -- to seek and save the lost! Yes, as he went about proclaiming the kingdom is at hand he did all of those things. But perhaps you have forgotten this morning that Jesus did not come so you could be good for goodness sake, have a great worship experience, nor did he come so you could have a good life. Matthew was shocked and surprised that Jesus would ask him to follow him, but he did immediately. The Pharisees and perhaps others were just as surprised that Jesus had called Matthew to be his disciple but just remember that perhaps others around you may have been just as surprised you were called by grace. On hearing the sarcastic words of the Pharisees, Jesus responds, “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.” The Pharisees would never understand because their own sense of selfish piety got in the way of truly hearing God or the cries of the crowd. Dear child of the King I pray this never happens to you. Jesus came for sinners just like Matthew and just like us! We learn from Matthew that Jesus desires to give mercy!
EXAMPLE: When we used to go over to my grandmother’s house she would literally prepare a feast. It was not unusual to find several kinds of meats, potatoes, vegetables, and of course desserts afterwards. She often poured out her love in the food she prepared for her family and what was great about it is the fact that a starving young boy could get all he wanted and more! This is a perfect example of what God did through Jesus, he gave us more than we deserve and abundantly piled it on pressed down shaken together and running over! And the wonderful truth is: Jesus desires to give mercy!
Conclusion:
Mercy is found in submission! Mercy is displayed by relationship! Jesus desires to give mercy!
---
This article is copyrighted © 2019 by Lee Hemen and is the sole property of Lee Hemen, and may not be used unless you quote the entire article and have my permission.
Comments