Matthew’s Party
Phil Schaefer
2/01/09
Key Scripture: Mark 2:13-17
Verse 13- “Then He went out again by the sea; and all the multitude came to Him, and He taught them.
Verse 14- “As He passed by, He saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, “Follow Me.” So he arose and followed Him.”
Verse 15- “Now it happened, as He was dining in Matthew’s house, that many tax collectors and sinners also sat together with Jesus and His disciples; for there were many, and they followed Him.”
Verse 16- “And when the scribes and Pharisees saw Him eating with the tax collectors and sinners, they said to Him, “How is it that He eats and drinks with tax collectors and sinners?”
Verse 17- “When Jesus heard it, He said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but the sinners, to repentance.”
Introduction:
We are going through the book of Mark and the book, No Perfect People by John Burke, in our series called, “This Beautiful Mess and the Shocking Embrace of God.” This teaching will demonstrate how tolerance leads to trust.
The overarching statement that is being made in this story is the outrageous acceptance of Jesus and the hope that He offers to all people. It teaches us that we need to learn to engage people as Jesus does.
It is easy for us to read this and say, this is the account of Jesus calling Matthew to be His disciple and of Matthew throwing a party for Him. But the 1st century readers would have understood just how extreme this story is. They would have been shocked.
I. The Messenger Is the Message: A Whole New Take on Religion
- Matthew was a tax collector, or a ‘publican’.
1. To be a publican was to be someone who was completely disreputable.
2. Tax collectors were so notorious for their extortions that they were habitually included in the same category as harlots.
3. Publican was a popular term of disdain. They were hated by the Gentiles, and by the Jews, their fellow countrymen.
4. They took taxes from the Jews and gave them to the Romans, keeping money for themselves.
5. Publicans were considered traitors, robbers, extortioners, unfaithful to their own people and to their religion.
6. They were considered the dregs of humanity.
- Jesus saw people in a whole new way
1. He knew the terrible binds that people could get themselves in.
2. He knew how corrupted our hearts can become.
3. He knew how trapped, and miserable, and hopeless this could feel.
4. He never said, “You made your bed, now you must sleep in it.”
5. He never saw anyone as beyond hope.
6. Even more shocking was that Jesus was showing everyone who followed Him
how much God loved and accepted them.
- He was showing his disciples
- He was showing other publicans and sinners.
- He was showing the religious establishment.
- Jesus does what no conservative Rabbi, or no self respecting Jew would ever do.
1. He enters Matthews home and eats with him.
2. He says in effect, “Matthew, let’s become friends. Let’s get to know one another better. I’ll share my life and what I’m about with you, and you share your life with me.”
3. Jesus was offering something to Matthew that no one else would even consider- a new way to see God and learn what His desires are for his life.
4. What are the only words that Jesus says to Matthew? “Follow Me.”
- In the Greek, it is a present imperative verb meaning, ‘be following me’, or ‘learn about me’.
D. Kylie’s story- pg.94- No Perfect People
This is a testimony of a young woman who comes to church and talks to the pastor,
followed by a response that would reflect this understanding of ‘be following Jesus’.
- “My defenses are up with you guys.”( the Christians in the church)
- “ We understand, just continue to explore who Jesus is.”
- “I’m a feminist.”
- “We understand, just continue to explore who Jesus is.”
- “Religion is very oppressive, intolerant, unloving, and man-made.”
- “We understand, just continue to explore who Jesus is.”
- “Christians are all desperate people with a need to fill some void.”
- “ We understand, just continue to explore who Jesus is.”
- “Christianity is about bigots and gay-bashers.”
- “ We understand, just continue to explore who Jesus is.”
E. Burke- “In our postmodern world you can’t separate the message from the messenger.” The messenger is the message. The message comes from us to others. Jesus is the message, a radical shocking message..
II. Hanging Out At Matthew’s Party: Creating a Culture of Dialogue
- Matthew holds a party at his house. (Mark 2:15) He invites:
- Jesus and his friends, the disciples.
- His fellow publicans, many of them.
- The rest of his friends- “sinners”, “many other notorious sinners.”
- How do you picture the room?
1. Do you think that Jesus and His disciples sat on one side and Mathew and his friends sat on the other side?
2. What if it were Jesus, next to Matthew, who is next to Matthew’s two best friends and fellow tax collectors; who are next to Peter, who is next to two notorious sinners, who are next to John, who is being served by a woman, another notorious sinner who had lots of men friends?
C. Mathew ‘got it’. He understood that Jesus was out to meet everyone right where they were.
- Jesus wanted his followers to ‘get it.”
1.To be around others in a relational way, not a religious way.
2. To become as accepting of them as He was accepting of them, to be friends.
3. To meet them right where they were.
- He was turning upside down the idea of God and how He relates to others. Burke calls it “Creating a Culture of Dialogue”.
1. A culture of dialogue means:
- Becoming a people who truly respect and value all people as worthy of Christ’s love.
- Being willing to respect the thoughts, and values of others; even when we differ in belief. (not agreeing but respecting)
- Considering the perspective of the other person, stepping into their shoes.
- Letting go of the need to fix, change, or control other’s beliefs.
- Trusting that the Holy Spirit is the one working behind the scenes to move a person’s heart.
- Giving people the freedom to question, doubt, and explore faith at their own pace.
- Giving up the need to have all the answers, or even to be right.
- Mark 2:16-The Pharisees said indignantly, “ In company with publicans and sinners, he eats!” The New Living Translation says, “Why does He eat with such scum?” The sense is: Can you imagine anything worse??
- Romans 2:4- Paul asks, “Do you show contempt for the riches of His kindness, tolerance, and patience, not realizing that the kindness of God leads you toward repentance?”--- It is the kindness of God showing through you and me that leads people to repentance and faith in Christ.
III. The importance of framing and sharing our story:
A. This is Matthew’s story:
- This is who he was; his background, his reputation.
- These were the people who he hung out with.
B. Not one of the N.T. writers hide or shade what they were and how they lived.
- They saw that the less they were, the greater was the love that Jesus showed them.
C. There is real importance in framing and sharing your story.
- As you give it, God is going to heal you, and to strengthen your faith.
- As you give it, God is going to use it to heal others, and give them hope.
- As you give it, God is going to bring others to Himself through you, so you can be God’s love to them.
Discussion Questions:
Would you feel comfortable going to Matthew’s party? Why or why not.
Why were the Pharisees so outraged at Jesus for eating with tax collectors and sinners?
What are some of the barriers that we have to making friends with people who are different from us?
What does it mean to you that ‘the messenger is the message’?
Discuss the points under Creating a Culture of Dialogue and how we as a church (or small group) are doing and how we can do better.
Write out your story and be ready to share it with others.
