SHARING BREAD
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.
10 While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew's house, many tax collectors and "sinners" came and ate with him and his disciples. 11 When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and 'sinners'?"
12 On hearing this, Jesus said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 13 But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."
10 While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew's house, many tax collectors and "sinners" came and ate with him and his disciples. 11 When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and 'sinners'?"
12 On hearing this, Jesus said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 13 But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."
Matt
9:9-13 (NIV)
Jesus’ ministry was and is directed toward all who realize
they have a need – btw, that would be everyone. It is a very good thing to
realize that we all alike are in the same condition apart from Christ – needy –
there are no exceptions. Interestingly
as well, God has a remnant among all kinds of people – sinners who realize their
need for a Savior. Indeed, He tells us
in our verses for today it is precisely those for whom He came to call – seeking
to save the lost – be it the banker or the burglar, the brilliant or the base,
the businessman or the blasphemer. Luke
records a similar Word from our Lord:
10 “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save
what was lost.” Luke 19:10
(NIV)
“Sin is the sickness of the soul. It is deforming, weakening, disturbing,
wasting, and killing, but, we bless God, not
incurable. Jesus Christ is the great
Physician of souls. Wise and good people
should be like physicians to everyone around them; Christ was so. Souls that are sick with sin need this Physician,
for their disease is dangerous; nature will not help itself. No mortal can help us; we have such need of
Christ that we are eternally ruined without Him.” Matthew Henry
The fact that Jesus associated with tax collectors of course
didn’t settle well with the Pharisees who foolishly fancied their lives as
flawless flesh. They thought it beneath
them to associate with the likes of people such as these – being ever strict to
avoid sinners yet not avoid sin. Blind to their own folly of their
extraordinary religious pride, they could not accept the fact that Jesus not
only reached out but welcomed those they believed to be far beneath them. No one was a greater zealot than they for the
mere form of godliness or greater enemies of its power. Paul tells us in Timothy to have nothing to do
with them – substance is better than show or shadows – obedience is better than
sacrifice. Acts of love trump the formalities
of religious profession. It is the Ace
of spades so to speak:
5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have
nothing to do with them. 2 Tim 3:5
(NIV)
Believe me; we are all on level ground at the foot of the
cross. There was and is no one
righteous, not even one. We must beware that pride is an insidious monster,
particularly religious pride. Pride
never goes unpunished – a person who believes they are superior to others will
eventually experience a downfall.
Scripture tells us:
18 Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before
a fall. Prov 16:18 (NIV)
12 Before his downfall a man's heart is proud, but
humility comes before honor. Prov 18:12
(NIV)
“Pride is an insidious disease of the soul because it can turn even justice and kindness into self-righteous deeds.” Chuck Swindoll
“The
essence of sin is pride. The heart of
sin is independence and the core of sin is demanding
my own way instead of God's.” Pat
Singleterry
I
think it precious that Matthew having received the mercy of God is now desirous
of his friends to know of this salvation as well. By opening his home, he provided the
opportunity of helping his old associates come to a saving knowledge of the
Lord Jesus. True grace is not content to
sit and eat the morsels of its goodness alone rather to invite others of its limitless
bounty. We were not saved to merely sit, soak and sour. Matthew did what he could. He opened his home and provided lavish hospitality
out of his own means. Luke records the
incident as follows:
29 Then Levi held a great banquet for Jesus at his house,
and a large crowd of tax collectors and others were eating with them. Luke 5:29 (NIV)
“To show what true religion consists in: not in external observances, but in doing all
the good we can to the bodies and souls of others in righteousness and peace.”
Matthew Henry
We grasp Scripture more fully when we not only observe its
Truth but apply them to our lives. Head
knowledge puffs up yet falls flat - it is love which edifies.
What I glean from this:
· Jesus directed
His ministry to those who realized their need.
· Our Lord
came to save and seek the lost.
· I am to be
a conduit of Christ’s love to others.
