Matthew 9:9-13

Called…Righteous!

            “God doesn’t call the qualified, he qualifies the called.” Not only have I found this statement to be true by personal experience, but I also find it to be true in the very Word of God. To say it simply, you don’t have to be the best at something in order to serve God with your skills and talents. So many times, we become afraid of helping around church or witnessing to friends or neighbors or serving God in some way because we’re not good enough. We’re afraid that we’ll mess up and embarrass ourselves, or worse, cause great harm to the faith. And you know, sometimes we think too highly of ourselves, that we can mess up more than God can fix. I’ll tell you; you don’t have to be a professional musician to lend your voice to his song. You don’t have to be a professional carpenter to use your hands for the maintenance of God’s building. You don’t have to be a professional speaker to tell a friend or neighbor about Christ. God need not find the best of the best in order to use them for his purpose. He qualifies the called. That is, he empowers us to do the work he desires through his own Word and Spirit. For so often in Scripture, it’s the outcast, it’s the weak, the poor, the lowly whom God calls into his assembly. He then equips them with the Gospel and sends them back out. And lo and behold, God works through even these… he can work through you. All God asks is that you lend your time and talents to him and see what he can do.

            For in our Gospel reading today, we have the calling of St. Matthew. He wasn’t one many would have thought a prime candidate for being a disciple. Yet, Jesus calls him and qualifies him for this work. When the Pharisees are astonished to see who Jesus has chosen, Jesus reminds them of his mission, as we learn: 

I CAME NOT TO CALL THE RIGHTEOUS, BUT SINNERS!

I.

            At this point in Jesus’ ministry, he has already called Peter and Andrew, and James and John to follow him. These at least were with him when he encountered Matthew sitting at the tax booth. For you see, already in Jesus’ company are four fishermen and now a tax collector. These weren’t the most educated of men, nor did they display any great qualities like leadership or charisma that would make them desirable to Jesus. Quite the opposite, they all lacked in great ways. However, we see it took only two simple words from Jesus for Matthew to drop everything and follow. The call of these disciples is at present a call to faith. For so we read, “As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, ‘Follow me.’ And he rose and followed him,” Matthew 9:9. For it would be these men who Jesus would train up for the ministry, who would become the mighty preachers, healers, and leaders of the church. Jesus would equip them throughout his ministry to carry out this task. 

            But then came along the Pharisees who were confounded by Jesus’ actions. To them, tax collectors were traitors. They were Jews who became rich by working for the Roman Empire, the sworn enemy of the Jews. For consider the Pharisees’ words, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” Matthew 9:11. But you see, the Pharisees make the mistake that many people today still make. For many people today think you can’t be a member of the Church unless you’re worthy of it already. That is, they think the Church is a gathering place for the righteous. But here’s the issue with that. “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God,” Romans 3:10-11. Those who answer Jesus’ call aren’t there because they know their perfect. They’re in the Church because they know they’re not! To answer the call of faith is to say, “I need help. I’m ill. I’m sick. I’m a sinner who needs a savior.” For the Church is a hospital for the sinner. It’s where God calls us that he may heal us and make us better. So yes, there are a lot of hypocrites in the church. There are a lot of us who speak about righteousness, holiness, and many virtues, and are anything but. That’s because, Christ hasn’t called us because we’re perfect. He called us because we’re not and desire to be better, to be healed.

II.

            This is the only quality which our Lord desires: faithfulness. He desires those who will answer his call to follow, who know their own sinfulness and who desire to be better. Outside of this, it’s not within our human capability to question our Lord’s sovereign call. Our Lord goes to and fro among us, calling out to all people, seeking any who will answer. He’s the one who will teach you, train you, empower you to live a new life. For consider even our Lord’s response, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners,” Matthew 9:12-13. Jesus is the one who not only qualifies the called but sanctifies the sinner. God doesn’t expect perfection from you until He himself has made you perfect! There are no sacrifices, rituals, works which we can do that alone would sanctify us in the sight of God. No, it’s solely by the mercy of God. It was mercy that called Matthew and the other disciples to faith and ministry. It was mercy that saves the sinner.

            This is the mercy we’re to learn. Even more profoundly, the Greek word for “learn” is “disciple.” That is, we’re to “disciple” ourselves to the mercy of God, to Jesus and his call. Only then can we truly learn and understand our Lord’s words. Jesus must teach us the meaning of mercy. He must teach us the life of faith. Mercy isn’t an overlooking of one’s faults or shortcomings. It’s not an indifference towards wrongdoing. Consider the discipleship, the learning, of Matthew as he records for us in his Gospel. Mercy is none other than the cross of Christ. God desires mercy that heals. God desires mercy that redeems. God desires mercy that will make alive! Such is the cross of Jesus. Jesus teaches us the mercy of God by taking up the great and final sacrifice, placing his own body and blood upon the cross. By his cross, Jesus shows himself to be our Great Physician, the one who can heal both body and soul. In this Church, Jesus shall bind you up with his forgiveness, his mercy and grace, that you may be healed for life eternal!

            This we should learn and be well aware… Jesus came to call sinners that through repentance and faith, he may make them into precious saints of God! So may we take up the call of Christ and become his disciples, learning evermore the very mercy of God! In Jesus’ name! Amen!