You never know who’s watching. You never know who God is going to touch through you as you live your faith and share his love. I think we see an example of that in Matthew 9.
There was this paralyzed guy, and his buddies care enough about him that they’re going to carry him to Jesus in the hopes that He might heal him. So they get there and instead of healing him straight away, Jesus says, “Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven.”
I don’t imagine that’s what the guy’s friends wanted to hear. Nor was it what the Pharisees wanted to hear. They were outraged! This was blasphemy! Only God can forgive sins! “Who does this guy think he is?”
Jesus asks his famous question, “Which is easier to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk?’” It’s really hard to prove someone wrong if you say their sins are forgiven, but if you say, “rise and walk,” and they don’t then you know something, don’t you? But so that we could be confident that the man’s sins are forgiven (and ours are, too) Jesus says, “Rise and walk.” And the guy does.
Then next thing that Matthew records is how Jesus was walking by his tax booth and He looked him in the eye and said, “Follow me.”
Now, up to this point, Matthew has been a tax collector. He was considered a traitor for taking the funds of his people and giving them to the Romans. He was probably despised for cheating people; that’s how tax collectors made their money, they added a little to the bill for their own pocket. He had probably gouged Peter, Andrew, James, and John, and maybe Jesus too at some point. They are, after all, in Jesus’ “own city.” (Can you imagine Peter’s jaw drop when he realized that Jesus was calling Matthew – the tax collector cheat?!?)
Could it be that Matthew had been there when four guys carried a paralytic on a mat to Jesus? Could it be that Matthew had been part of the crowd that Mark records was around Jesus? That he heard those words, “Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven.”? That he saw the man walk away? That he put two and two together and realized: If he can make the paralytic walk and he can forgive sins, maybe he can forgive my sins.
So Matthew gets up and follows.
I love what happens next. It says that Jesus “reclined at table” – he had a dinner party – and guess who’s there! Tax collectors and sinners! How did that happen?
Matthew brought his friends to meet Jesus. He wanted them to meet the one who had given him hope of receiving God’s love, too.
The Pharisees are offended by this. They go to the disciples and ask, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” Isn’t it interesting that the disciples don’t seem to be in the middle of this gathering? I can imagine Andrew answering through gritted teeth, “I have NO idea!” But Jesus answers: “Those who are well have no need of a doctor, but those who are sick do. Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ I didn’t come to call righteous people, but sinners.”
I wonder how those tax collectors felt when they heard those words. Were they offended? “He says we’re sick!” Or was their response hopeful? “He came for us!”
What about us?
Father, thank you for sending Jesus for the sick; for broken people; for people like me. I don’t always receive Jesus’ forgiveness with the humility and awe that I should, nor do I extend it to others as readily as I should. Fill me with hope and wonder at Jesus’ sacrifice for me so that I am so filled with Your love and grace that it oozes from me to the people around me, because I never know who’s watching and who might come to faith because of what you’ve done in me! Amen.
There was this paralyzed guy, and his buddies care enough about him that they’re going to carry him to Jesus in the hopes that He might heal him. So they get there and instead of healing him straight away, Jesus says, “Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven.”
I don’t imagine that’s what the guy’s friends wanted to hear. Nor was it what the Pharisees wanted to hear. They were outraged! This was blasphemy! Only God can forgive sins! “Who does this guy think he is?”
Jesus asks his famous question, “Which is easier to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk?’” It’s really hard to prove someone wrong if you say their sins are forgiven, but if you say, “rise and walk,” and they don’t then you know something, don’t you? But so that we could be confident that the man’s sins are forgiven (and ours are, too) Jesus says, “Rise and walk.” And the guy does.
Then next thing that Matthew records is how Jesus was walking by his tax booth and He looked him in the eye and said, “Follow me.”
Now, up to this point, Matthew has been a tax collector. He was considered a traitor for taking the funds of his people and giving them to the Romans. He was probably despised for cheating people; that’s how tax collectors made their money, they added a little to the bill for their own pocket. He had probably gouged Peter, Andrew, James, and John, and maybe Jesus too at some point. They are, after all, in Jesus’ “own city.” (Can you imagine Peter’s jaw drop when he realized that Jesus was calling Matthew – the tax collector cheat?!?)
Could it be that Matthew had been there when four guys carried a paralytic on a mat to Jesus? Could it be that Matthew had been part of the crowd that Mark records was around Jesus? That he heard those words, “Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven.”? That he saw the man walk away? That he put two and two together and realized: If he can make the paralytic walk and he can forgive sins, maybe he can forgive my sins.
So Matthew gets up and follows.
I love what happens next. It says that Jesus “reclined at table” – he had a dinner party – and guess who’s there! Tax collectors and sinners! How did that happen?
Matthew brought his friends to meet Jesus. He wanted them to meet the one who had given him hope of receiving God’s love, too.
The Pharisees are offended by this. They go to the disciples and ask, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” Isn’t it interesting that the disciples don’t seem to be in the middle of this gathering? I can imagine Andrew answering through gritted teeth, “I have NO idea!” But Jesus answers: “Those who are well have no need of a doctor, but those who are sick do. Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ I didn’t come to call righteous people, but sinners.”
I wonder how those tax collectors felt when they heard those words. Were they offended? “He says we’re sick!” Or was their response hopeful? “He came for us!”
What about us?
Father, thank you for sending Jesus for the sick; for broken people; for people like me. I don’t always receive Jesus’ forgiveness with the humility and awe that I should, nor do I extend it to others as readily as I should. Fill me with hope and wonder at Jesus’ sacrifice for me so that I am so filled with Your love and grace that it oozes from me to the people around me, because I never know who’s watching and who might come to faith because of what you’ve done in me! Amen.
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