Jesus Friend of Sinners | Matthew 9:9-13

Scripture

• Matthew 9:9–13

About this sermon

Introduction: Jesus has the authority to forgive sins. He exercised that authority when He met with a paralyzed man and pronounced him — FULLY FORGIVEN. That pronouncement met with immediate and evil opposition in the hearts of some scribes who were present and heard it. They accused Jesus of being a blasphemer. They thought that He claimed an authority for Himself that only belongs to God. THEY WERE NOT WRONG THAT WHAT JESUS CLAIMED FOR HIMSELF WAS A DIVINE PREROGATIVE. THEY WERE WRONG ABOUT JESUS. JESUS IS GOD IN HUMAN FLESH. JESUS IS THE ONE WHO NOT ONLY HAS THE AUTHORITY TO FORGIVE SINS, HE ALONE SECURES THAT FORGIVENESS BY THE SACRIFICE OF HIS OWN LIFE ON THE CROSS. Jesus identified those evil thoughts, and rebuked them, and then demonstrated that He (the Son of Man) has the authority to forgive sins by healing that man. That paralytic walked home forgiven. The scene that Matthew presents immediately after is tremendously encouraging. HE PRESENTS US WITH THE GOOD NEWS THAT THIS SAME JESUS WHO HAS THE AUTHORITY TO FORGIVE SINS IS A FRIEND TO SINNERS. HE OFFERS HIMSELF TO SINNERS. He is not a friend who condones sin. He is not a friend who affirms the sinner in his sin. He is a friend who confronts the sin, indicts the sin, BUT THEN offers the free and gracious forgiveness of that sin where there is a submissive faith in Himself as the SAVIOR. And what this scene equally declares is that any sinner — EVEN THE MOST DESPISED SINNER — willing to come to Christ on Christ’s terms is welcome. Whose sins is Jesus willing to forgive? “Can Jesus forgive the worst of sinners?” “Can Jesus forgive THIS sinner?” This account of the call of Matthew, gives hope to everyone. It does not offer hope to sinners unwilling to come to Christ. But if offers hope to any sinner willing to abandon his way and embrace Jesus as THE WAY. This morning we Jesus the friend to sinners. We will examine our Lord’s kindness under four headings. • THE CALLING OF A DESPISED SINNER (vs.9) Matthew. He sat at a tax booth. It was likely a place where transportation taxes were gathered. D.A. Carson — “Matthew was sitting “at the tax collector’s booth,” a customs and excise booth at the border between the territories of Philip and Herod Antipas.” Leon Morris — The taxes in mind here would have been tolls levied on goods passing through or customs duties, so that the toll booth would have been situated in a strategic spot, which may have been on the great road from Syria to Egypt (when Matthew would have collected tolls) or near the lake (when Matthew would have been concerned with customs levied on goods that came across the lake, for the eastern shore lay outside the dominions of Herod Antipas; it was ruled by Herod Philip and thus was another country). The Romans allowed Herod Antipas to collect and use the taxes from this area (Josephus, Ant. 17.318). Whatever one was transporting from one territory to the next that was allowed to be taxed — was. And, Matthew was one of those men responsible for gathering those taxes. And given the reputation of tax-collectors it was almost certainly the case that they over-taxed people. Tax-collectors were famous for stealing from people in the name of the public purse. They were famous for working out sweet deals with those who could benefit them, and making up the difference by over-taxing the common people. THIS WAS ONE REASON WHY TAX COLLECTORS WERE SO DESPISED. The hatred for tax collectors is on display in this text. But we see it in other contexts also. Luke 19:1–7 (ESV) 1 He entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 And behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus. He was a chief tax collector and was rich. 3 And he was seeking to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was small in stature. 4 So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was about to pass that way. 5 And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.” 6 So he hurried and came down and received him joyfully. 7 And when they saw it, they all grumbled, “He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.” Matthew 5:46–47 (ESV) 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? Luke 18:11 (ESV) 11 The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. Why does Jesus choose tax collectors for His examples? Because tax collectors were considered among the worst of sinners. Tax collectors were despised sinners. • MATTHEW IS IN CAPERNAUM

Topics

• Repentance
• Relationships
• Friendship
• Jesus Christ