THE CALL OF MATTHEW

Sermon of the Week #200924—July 5, 2009

Matthew 8, Mark 2, Luke 5

Matthew himself said, “And as Jesus passed by from thence, He saw a man.” It is always that way with Jesus, He saw a man. Others passing by saw a publican, Jesus saw a man. We may see a policeman, a truck driver, a lawyer, a scientist, a trash collector, a banker, Jesus sees a man. Jesus sees what that man can become. In this case before us, others saw a publican, but Jesus saw an apostle, and He saw the lead-off biographer of the life of Jesus. Jesus saw what the man could become, and He said, “Follow Me.”

The publicans were tax collectors for the Roman government, and for a Jew to be a tax collector, was a shame and disgrace, and Jesus chooses Matthew, a publican, who became an apostle.

John the Baptist indicates the reason for the people’s hatred of publicans in his preaching of the baptism of repentance in Luke 3:12, “And there came also publicans to be baptized, and they said unto him, Teacher, what must we do?” And he said unto them, “Extort no more from any man than that which is appointed you.”

The publicans were known by and large to tax more than was required and were rich, but it seems that many of them were interested in the preaching of Jesus. Luke 15:1 indicates the popularity of Jesus with the statement, “Now all the publicans and sinners were drawing nigh unto Him to hear Him.” Matthew, the publican, may have been one of these especially when we note that he is stationed at Capernaum, and Capernaum is called the city of Jesus after He left Nazareth. Matthew tells us in the first verse of his ninth chapter that Jesus entered into a boat and came to His own city.

Certainly Matthew was aware of the healing of the centurion’s servant, the resurrection of the daughter of Jairus, and the healing of the leper when He stretched forth His hand and touched Him saying, “I will, be thou made clean.” All this must have had its effect on Matthew, when Jesus said, “Follow Me.”

Jesus knew he would accept the invitation, as we remember John 2:25, “For He, Himself, knew what was in man.” And who can forget Genesis 6:5 when God said, “The imaginations of man’s heart is evil continually.” Jesus knows what we are thinking all the time. Matthew rose up and left all and followed Him.

Consider also when Matthew wrote about his conversion, he told it right after the miracle of the man with the palsy let down through the roof. He may have considered his own conversion just as great a miracle, and so may we all. The gospel song says:

“It took a miracle to put the world in place

It took a miracle to hang the moon in space

But when He saved my soul; cleansed and made me whole

It took a miracle of love and grace.”

And he rose up and left all and followed Him.

Jesus said in Luke 14:33, “So, therefore, whosoever he be of you that renounces not all that he has, he cannot be My disciple.” Matthew was like the saints identified in glory in Revelation 14:4, “These are they who follow the Lamb wheresoever He goeth.” And he rose up and left all and followed Him.

Consider also that the conversion of Matthew seems to be an accident. As Jesus passed by, He saw a man called Matthew. Actually, the conversion of any person is not an accident. It all happens according to plan. The fact that many just happen to be listening to this program today is according to God’s plan for you to make the greatest decision of life. And now Matthew invited Jesus into his house.

JESUS IN THE HOUSE

And it came to pass as He sat at meat in the house many publicans and sinners came and sat down with Jesus and His disciples. Now that Matthew has been called into the fellowship of the disciples, he wants Jesus to come into his house and meet his friends. Jesus likes to be in the house. There are other occasions when Jesus is found in the house.

In Matthew 8:14 Jesus came to Peter’s house and found Peter’s mother-in-law sick of a fever. He laid His hand upon her, and healed her and she arose and ministered unto them. It was a great day for Peter to have Jesus in the house.

In Luke 14 Jesus was invited into the house of one of the rulers of the Pharisees on a Sabbath day to break bread, and although it was a set-up to trap Jesus by tempting Him to heal a man with the palsy on the Sabbath day, Jesus healed him anyway and what a great day for the man sick of the palsy that Jesus was in the house.

Then in Matthew 25:6 we see Jesus again in the house of Simon the leper. Simon was probably a leper healed by Jesus, and it was while He was in the house that Mary of Bethany anointed the Lord with a lavishly expensive bottle of valuable ointment. And uproar went up by the apostles, because of this seeming waste. Jesus said, “Leave her alone. For she poured this ointment on Me to prepare Me for burial, and I say unto you that wheresoever this gospel shall be preached in the whole world, that which this woman has done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her.” I have to tell you at this time that this broadcast can be heard everywhere on planet earth, and at this moment the prediction of Jesus has come true. It was a good day for Mary when Jesus was in the house.

Then again in Luke 8:43-48 we read: And behold there came a man named Jairus, and he was a ruler in the synagogue: and he fell down at Jesus’ feet, and besought Him to come into his house; for he had an only daughter, about twelve years of age, and she was dying. And when He came into the house He took her by the hand and said, “Maiden, arise,” and she rose up immediately. At a time of approaching death it is always good to have Jesus in the house.

And then we have to remind you that Luke 19:1-10 informs us that Zacchaeus climbed up a sycamore tree to see Jesus, and the Lord said, “Zacchaeus, come down; for today I must abide at thy house,” and he came down and received Him joyfully. This was a great day for Zacchaeus to have Jesus in the house. Zacchaeus, another publican promised to give half of his goods to the poor, and restore fourfold for any he had cheated. Jesus said, “Today is salvation come to this house for he also is a son of Abraham.”

What Jesus said about Abraham reminds us of what Paul said in Galatians 3:27, “For as many of you as were baptized into Christ did put on Christ. There can be neither Jew nor Greek, there can be neither male nor female, there can be neither bond nor free, for ye are all one man in Christ Jesus. And if ye are Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed and heirs according to promise.” What a blessing for Zacchaeus and for us to know that Jesus was in his house that day.

But now, just one more look at the house. Jesus wants us to be in the house of the Lord on the Lord’s Day, and sit at meat with Him at the Lord’s Table, and to feast on the Bread of Life in the message preached that day. But in addition to that, after services He wants to go into our house with us like He did with Matthew.

How many would want Jesus to come into their house with them? We are on our best behavior during the services, but would we feel comfortable to have Jesus in the house on the Lord’s Day and every other day? Perhaps some would say, “Lord, if you want to come into my house, give me a head start; I’ll go on ahead and fumigate the place.” Would you really want Jesus in the house?

THE GREAT PHYSICIAN

Next Jesus refers to Himself as the physician. Actually, we can call Him the Great Physician. When the Pharisees saw Jesus associating with so many publicans, they said to His disciples, “Why eateth your teacher with publicans and sinners?” Jesus heard it and said, “They that are whole have no need of a physician, but they that are sick.”

Jesus is the physician that is needed by all, and as a physician He was a great oncologist; a good blood doctor. Matthew 9:19-22: A woman with an issue of blood twelve years and had spent all on physicians and grew worse, came behind Him and touched the border of His garment saying to herself, “If I do but touch His garment, I shall be made whole.” Jesus turned and said, “Daughter, be of good cheer, thy faith has made thee whole.” Jesus is the great Physician.

Jesus also as a physician was a chiropractor. In Luke 13:11-13, a woman was brought to Him that had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed down and could in no wise lift herself up. Jesus said, “Woman, thou art loosed from thy infirmity.” And He laid His hands upon her: and with one adjustment she was immediately made straight and glorified God. Jesus is the great Physician.

Not only that, but Jesus as a physician was a great podiatrist, a foot doctor. In John 5:1-9, a man who was laid near the pool of Bethesda who for thirty-eight years was in his infirmity; Jesus saw him and told him to take up his bed and walk. And straightway he took up his bed and walked. Jesus was the great Physician.

Then Jesus was also a great ophthalmologist. In John nine is the story of Jesus healing a man forty years old who had been born blind. Jesus spat on the ground, made clay of the spittle, and anointed his eyes, and told him to go wash in the pool of Siloam; he went away and washed and came seeing. Jesus was the great Physician.

We need to notice also that Jesus was a great audiologist. Mark 7:32 finds Jesus in a return visit to the borders of Decapolis: And they brought to Him a man who was deaf, and had an impediment in his speech. Jesus took him aside from the multitude and put His fingers in his ears, spat, and touched his tongue; and looking up to heaven He sighed, and said, “Be opened.” And his ears were opened and the bond of his tongue was loosed and he spake plain.

What the multitude said about that miracle can be applied to the healing of all the patients of the great Physician, “He hath done all things well. He maketh even the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak.”

Then He told them, “They that are whole have no need of a physician but they that are sick; I came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.” Jesus is the only physician that can heal the disease He calls sin.

THE DISEASE JESUS CALLS SIN

The disease of sin is an epidemic. It is world-wide and has infected every generation of men, since Adam and Eve departed from the Garden of Eden. Sin is worse than cancer because no research that man can ever devise can find a cure for it. Listen to the diagnosis of sin in Romans 3:12-18, “There is none that doeth good, no, not so much as one: Their throat is an open sepulcher. With their tongue they have used deceit: The poison of the asp is under their lips: Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: Their feet are swift to shed blood; destruction and misery are in their ways; and the ways of peace they have not known: There is no fear of God before their eyes.” Then in verse 23, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” And this is the way God describes the human rascal.

Sin is terminal, and everyone is headed for the terminal, and there are two terminals, Heaven and Hell. In Jeremiah 8:22, the prophet seems a little confused as to man’s refusal to cooperate with the great Physician, “Is there no balm in Gilead; is there no physician there? Why then is not the health of the daughter of my people recovered?”

Gilead was famous for its balm. The balm was extracted from the Balm of Gilead tree. The trunk was split and the balm taken, and used as soothing medicine. Spiritually there was no lack of the balm of Gilead. Jeremiah knew they had the prophets, and later on the apostles of Jesus, and the medicine of God was available for all.

The balm of Gilead is plentiful enough, so why is the daughter of my people not recovered? There was nothing wrong with their intelligence; they understood everything else, except the Word of God. Jeremiah 4:22 says it well even for modern-day people, “For my people are foolish, they have not known Me; they are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge.” Even at that time they could more easily have understood how to become a rocket scientist than to understand salvation as preached by the apostles of Jesus. Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there, why then is the daughter of my people not recovered?

Isaiah understood the importance of preaching the message of God to a lost and dying world. In Isaiah 6:8 he heard the voice of God saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Isaiah said, Here am I, send me.” That is what the preacher said when I was sent out to Bible College. He told the congregation that I had said, “Here am I, send me.” I don’t remember saying that, but I suppose in essence that is what I was saying. It was good to hear the preacher say it, but I wish he had told them what the next verse said. It would read like this, “Here am I, send me, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, and understand not; and see ye indeed, and see not.” I was not expecting that. I thought if I told them Jesus died on the cross for our sins, and arose from the dead, and sent me to tell them about it, they would all accept it.

Furthermore Jeremiah 6:10 tells us, “To whom shall I speak, and give warning, that they may hear? They cannot hear: Behold the word of the Lord is to them a reproach; they have no delight in it.”

CONCLUSION

And now the concluding statement of Jesus in the house of Matthew, as to why He came into the world, “For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” In John 10:10 He said, “I came that they might have life and have it abundantly.” In Luke 19:10, “The Son of man came to seek and to save that which was lost.” In Matthew 20:28, “Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto but to minister, and to give His life a ransom for many.” The ransom has been paid for all who will accept the terms of the ransom; and those terms are the last words of Matthew, the publican, in his biography of Jesus.

“All authority hath been given unto Me in heaven and on earth. Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit; teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I commanded you, and Lo, I Am with you always even unto the end of the world.”