Sermon -- Stewardship: A God-Lived Life #3 (December 5, 2021)

MATTHEW 9:9-13

A GOD-LIVED LIFE IS A LIFE OF HOSPITALITY.

 In the name + of Jesus.

      When we ponder whom Jesus chose as his friends, we might be as surprised as the Pharisees were.  That Jesus chose unschooled, blue-collar fishermen to be apostles might surprise us.  But some of his other choices are shocking.  One example is Matthew.  “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).  Jesus and Matthew must have had some acquaintance with each other.  I find it doubtful that Jesus would say, “Follow me,” and a stranger would get up and follow him without any question.  Matthew must have known Jesus’ preaching and teaching.  He knew what Jesus’ call meant, and he followed him.

     Matthew had been sitting in the tax collector’s booth.  He was a hireling of the Roman government, commissioned to collect revenue from his countrymen.  This is not like a man from the IRS.  This would be like a man from the KGB collecting revenue from you.  And it was no secret that the tax collectors inflated the tax rate and pocketed the extra for themselves.  Matthew would have been a man easy to hate; yet Jesus called him to be his full-time disciple.  Matthew was probably both stunned and excited to hear that there was a place in the kingdom of God for the likes of him.

     So, Matthew threw a party.  He held a banquet to which Jesus and his other disciples were invited.  But there were other guests, too.  “As Jesus reclined at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and his disciples” (Matthew 9:10).  Matthew had invited to this banquet fellow tax collectors and other people of ill-repute.  He did not ditch his friends; he wanted them to meet Jesus.  If Jesus would be merciful to Matthew, perhaps he would be merciful to his friends, too.

     Do you think Matthew’s friends were nervous about coming to meet Jesus?  Matthew and his friends had probably been on the receiving end of sneers and nasty comments from other Galileans.  The Pharisees openly broadcast their opinion about Matthew and his buddies.  What would Jesus say?  How would he treat them? 

     If such thoughts were going through their minds, it is because the Law was working in their hearts.  It happens when we see a police car.  The law makes us sure we are driving more attentively.  When a criminal stands before a judge, he knows how to clean up his vocabulary and show some respect.  When a pastor walks into someone’s room, everyone suddenly tries to become a little bit holier.  In the same way, these people knew their sins.  Jesus’ presence made them feel their guilt all the more.  Why would they put themselves in a position which would make them feel that uncomfortable or defensive? 

     On the one hand, they trusted that Matthew was not setting them up to be embarrassed.  Matthew’s invitation was genuine hospitality.  On the other hand, his friends probably knew Jesus’ reputation.  Jesus had proven that he was hospitable and merciful to sinners.  They did not need to avoid him.  They came to the feast, and they were not disappointed.  A God-lived life is a life of hospitality.

     When the Pharisees saw Jesus feasting and fellowshipping with Matthew and his tax collector buddies, they were outraged.  Interestingly enough, they did not talk to Jesus about this.  They approached his disciples.  Perhaps the Pharisees were trying to drive a wedge between them.  If the Pharisees could shame the disciples for eating with sinners, maybe they would also be ashamed of Jesus and abandon him for better company.

     Jesus interrupted their questioning.  “The Pharisees … said to his disciples, ‘Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?’  But when he heard it, he said, ‘Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.  …I came not to call the righteous, but sinners’” (Matthew 9:11-13).  The Pharisees did not want to sully themselves by interacting with people whose reputations were less than pure.  They failed to recognize that we are not sullied by others; we are impure because of our own faults.  The very attitude of the Pharisees—“We are better than them,”—their arrogance, and their hatred condemned them.

     Both Matthew and Jesus demonstrated wonderful hospitality.  Matthew’s meal may have been to honor Jesus, but it was also an occasion for his friends to meet Jesus.  And Jesus showed that he does not despise sinners.  Jesus reclined at the table, thereby demonstrating acceptance and fellowship with them.  That did not mean Jesus gave approval to their sins.  It meant that Jesus would look upon people according to their need for mercy instead of their deserving of judgment.  For Jesus to have mercy upon sinners, he had to interact with them.  For Jesus to preach the good news, he needed to speak to people for whom the good news was meant.  This is a God-lived life—a life of hospitality which does not limit interaction with people who are good enough.  A God-lived life seeks the good of all and demonstrates a hospitality that shows it.

     Why would sinners be hesitant to join us?  We’re nice people.  Well, if someone is guilt-ridden, they might fear that the church will just hammer them with more guilt.  There is a story of a woman whose circumstances drove her to sell her body to get by.  She felt utterly worthless for this.  A friend said to her, “Why don’t you go to a church and talk to a pastor?”  She said, “Go to a church?!  I feel bad enough already.”  I guess some Christians might act like the Pharisees and look down on others whose lives are messy or broken.  And if you have looked at people that way, repent.  

     Your place in God’s kingdom is not a reward for clean living.  No one enters the kingdom of God squeaky clean.  We enter through the mercies and merits of Jesus.  If you are clean, remember that it is the Lord who cleansed you.  It is the blood of Jesus which purifies you.  It is the Spirit of God who works in you to avoid wickedness and the consequences that come from it.  This is what our Lord desires for all.  He desires all to be cleansed, to be loved, and to be welcomed into his kingdom—the straight-laced and the messed up, the familiar and the foreign, the rich and the poor, and even Pharisees.

     I don’t know what the reputation of our congregation is among outsiders.  We can’t really control that anyway.  What we can control is how hospitable we are to one another and to strangers.  Let our goal always be to have our reputation match the reputation of Jesus.  If Jesus welcomes sinners, then sinners must be welcome here.  We shall be patient and gracious to each other and to all. 

     A God-lived life is a life of hospitality.  Life in the church is first and foremost the fact that the Lord has been hospitable to us.  He does not treat us as our sins deserve.  While we acknowledge our sins and confess them, the Lord does not revisit our faults and rub our face in them.  The devil does that.  The Lord remembers you according to his mercy.  You were baptized into Christ, and therefore you are clothed with Christ.  That is what God sees when he sees you—he sees the righteousness of Christ.  He sees one whom Jesus did not despise, but for whom Jesus willingly suffered and died.  And because of Jesus’ sufferings and death for you, the Lord is most hospitable to you.  He does not merely tolerate you, but he prepares a place for you in the mansions of heaven so that you can be with him forevermore.  The Lord loves you and delights in you.  He is amused by your personality quirks (I can say that, because we all have them).  He is patient with your weaknesses.  He cares about your concerns.  He is sympathetic your frustrations.  He takes up your requests, and he answers you with promises that do not change and according to wisdom that does not fail.  Jesus is hospitable to you.  He likes you and wants to be with you. 

     In fact, the Lord makes his home with you.  Jesus has sent his Holy Spirit to dwell in you.  The Holy Spirit teaches you to look upon other people with the same compassion Jesus has upon you.  Many people carry around guilt and shame that they try to hide.  They look fine, and they tell you they are fine.  People generally do not share their deepest, darkest fears.  But think about this: What fears and frustrations do you struggle with?  What weaknesses do you have?  These things are common to all people.  As bothered as you might be, you have God’s promises to cling to so that you can have comfort and peace despite your fears and struggles.  What hope do others have who don’t know Jesus and his promises?  If that does not stir up compassion, what will?

     A God-lived life is a life of hospitality.  We want sinners to know that they are welcome here.  They may come with a lot of baggage.  They may bear the scars of their sins for the rest of their lives.  They may struggle to overcome a lifetime of bad habits.  They may not live as exemplary a life as we might hope for.  But recognize this: Everyone needs what you need.  Everyone needs what you have—a Savior who tenderly speaks to the hurting, to the frightened, and to the ashamed.  Let them hear the words of Jesus, and then let the Holy Spirit shape lives, just as he shapes yours.

     A God-lived life is a life of hospitality.  You might be nervous to speak to a stranger.  But if a stranger comes to church, ask yourself: What happened in that person’s life that compelled them to come to a church where they don’t know anybody and they don’t know what to expect?  Your friendly welcome and hospitality will be like Matthew putting his friends at ease.  “You don’t need to fear Jesus.  He welcomes sinners.  He welcomes us, and we will welcome you too.”  Even a friendly “Hello” and a handshake will let them know we want them here.

     Jesus said, “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.’  I came not to call the righteous, but sinners” (Matthew 9:12-13).  The Pharisees were good at their worship rituals, but they had no room for mercy.  If there is no mercy, the worship rituals are useless.  Both matter.  What we believe and how we live matter.  They are both a confession of our faith.  Our mercy and hospitality are to reflect what our Lord has done for us and for all.  Sinners need Jesus, but sinners will only know Jesus if we welcome them and assure them they are one of us. 

In the name of the Father and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.