Following

Intro: In New Orleans, a man broke into a home and stole some jewelry and the home owner’s season tickets to the New Orleans Saints. The police arrested him the following Sunday at the Superdome. He was not only sitting in the homeowner’s seat, but was wearing his jewelry. --- There’s just no respect for the criminal these days nor for the “criminal” in Jesus’ day either.

I. Vs. 9a – “As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth.” Who is this man and what was he like? The author of this gospel? Levi?

A. All we know for certain is he was a tax collector. Not respectable members of the community / bought the job / considered traitors / could collect more than was owed to Rome / often well-off / not welcome at worship/ viewed as “unclean” / moral loser

B. We still have losers. We look down on, conclude they are a lost cause, not worth the trouble. / Are we so proper and respectable that we’ve distanced ourselves from those who truly need to experience God’s redeeming love?

C. Jesus was the great community builder. He understood that it was necessary to see and accept people “as is.”

II. Vs. 9b – “Follow me.” He told him, and Matthew got up and followed him.

A. Here is one of the greatest instances in the NT of Jesus’ power to see in a person, not only what he was, but also that which he could be.

B. No mention of a previous conversation or hint that Jesus and Matthew had met before. Verb is the “present imperative,” which means to continue to follow, to keep on following.

C. Salvation is offered to everyone. The only requirement for membership in the church is the unworthiness of the candidate.

III. Vs. 11 – “When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, ‘Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?’” Too cowardly to confront Jesus, so they went to his disciples.

A. Pharisees = orthodox religious people of their day who rigidly kept the Law in every petty detail and regulation keeping themselves totally isolated from those who did not.

B. Today, they are “religion addicts” or people of “toxic faith.” Driven by their fixation on the external and formal aspects of religion, like doctrine, ritual, commandments and human traditions. They were totally involved with externals like rituals, customs, private pious practices, public fasting, wearing of certain garb and religions symbols cutting themselves off from a living, growing, delightful relationship with God.

C. It is easy to be a Pharisee, looking at others and being glad we are not like them, more concerned with the preservation of our own holiness than with helping others, more concerned with criticism than with encouragement, practicing a goodness which issues in condemnation rather than forgiveness and sympathy.

Conclu: The following riddle describes many in the church. (The Journey From Sinner to Saint by Tim Zingale, SermonCentral.com)

“He is always there, usually down front. He is uninspiring, nonpaying, silent, but disturbing. He is the moral enemy of the preacher. He never helps with the singing, never partakes of the Lord’s Supper, he just sits there. He robs the preacher of his power, takes the joy out of a son, and steals melody out of music. He chills the saint and cheers the sinner. He doesn’t whisper, squirm and never looks at his watch. He just sins. He is visible and a living testimony that someone doesn’t care. He is evidence of spiritual degeneracy. He advertises better than a billboard the indifference of our church people. He is where people sit who are present “in spirit.” He is a stabbing pain to our Master and a delight to Satan. He cannot be moved. The only way to get rid of him is to fill him. ----- He is the empty seat! --- Following Jesus means inviting everyone to fill that seat!

Gaither Bailey

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First Presbyterian Church, Georgetown, Kentucky, is a member of Transylvania Presbytery of the Synod of Living Waters in the Presbyterian Church, U.S.A.