Pastor's Sermon - June 7th, 2026 - The Second Sunday after Pentecost
Matthew 9:9-13
Jesus is passing through Capernaum. He arrived by boat in Capernaum and healed a paralytic man. He has already caused a stir as He has performed multiple healings and has garnered the attention of a crowd. Even the Pharisees are taking note of Him.
Jesus healed the paralyzed man as He was descended down through the roof on a bed. The interesting thing in healing the paralyzed man was that Jesus first told the man that His sins were forgiven. In telling the man that, the sins were truly forgiven. This occurrence offended the Pharisees and caused them to grumble that only God could forgive sins. Right, they were! In that moment, Jesus Christ was almost blatantly making the claim that He was, indeed, God Himself. Therefore, He had all authority in Heaven and on earth to do the things He’d do, even forgive sins.
Going on from there, Jesus, now having claimed to be God Himself, carries on through the city. Here, something unheard of and incredibly interesting happens.
Kings eat with noblemen and royalty, do they not? How many of us have ever expected to receive an invitation from a king somewhere to come and relax at His home with him or have a meal with him? Presidents recline with officials and magistrates. How many of us would believe it if we received a phone call saying that the president wanted to come and recline at our house and would like to eat a meal with you at your home? I imagine most of us would not believe either of these scenarios would happen. It would blow me out of the water if a king or a president even knew my name, let alone wanted to spend any time with me!
And why is that?
Because what business would someone as important as a king or a president have to do with me? Why should someone as esteemed as royalty or presidency be subjected to my company? I’m nothing special. I’m not wealthy, nor am I terribly intelligent. I’m not notably strong or influential. If it’s a good meal that he wants, he can go find my wife—all I could make him is mac n’ cheese…from a box. Surely, there are better people for these important men to seek the company of.
If we can understand that, then certainly Jesus’ actions are odd. If kings and presidents spend time with the upper tier of company, certainly God Himself must seek out the company of the highest importance. Surely, there’s an inner circle of very wealthy, powerful, righteous people that the God of all creation would recline with. Or, maybe even more realistically, the King of Kings would likely recline with no one on this fallen rock, maybe angels only.
At the very least, He’s not spending any time with the lowest of the low.
Except, that’s exactly what Jesus does.
Jesus passes by a tax booth and there He sees Matthew, a tax collector. A “telōnēs” Tax collectors were not highly esteemed by the general populace. In fact, they were viewed as the enemy—collaborators with Rome. They were traitors collecting money from their own people and handing over to their oppressors! On top of that, many of them were notorious for corruption and overcharging—stealing! The word “telōnēs” doesn’t literally translate to “sinner” but in the eyes of the people, it may as well have.
Yet, Jesus doesn’t pass by Matthew. He doesn’t see this tax collector-traitor-sinner and scoot to the far side of the street. He addresses the man. And He does so in love.
Matthew himself records two words spoken by Jesus in this moment. “akolouthei moi” or what our Bibles often translate “Follow me.” However, I think it is more interesting that the words are actually present imperative, which I think can better be translated as “keep on following me.” Christ is not inviting Matthew on a one-time walk to a house somewhere. Jesus, like He did with Peter, Andrew, James, and all the other disciples called historically before Matthew, is inviting Matthew to become His disciple. This isn’t an invitation to a trip, it’s an invitation to a lifestyle change.
Amazingly, the tax collector-traitor-sinner drops what he’s doing and follows the Christ.
The next thing Matthew tells us is that Jesus is reclining at table in the house with many tax collectors and sinners! This is where the story gets almost unheard of in those times! It may not shock us that Jesus was sitting with these people, but it certainly would have shocked the people of Jesus’ and Matthew’s time. We see this very shock in the Pharisees! They ask the obvious question of a man that claims to be not only a teacher, but God Himself… “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
It’s not an unreasonable question. Going back to what we discussed earlier. How many of us would make sense of it if a king or the president wanted to recline and dine with you or me? Or, what if the president wanted to invite robbers, liars, and murderers to the White House for dinner? It wouldn’t make any sense! In fact, it may even be considered inappropriate or offensive!
So here, why on earth would God Himself, as we know it to be true, lower Himself to recline, get comfortable with, and dine with the scum of the earth? Tax collectors and every sort of sinner? Shouldn’t God find someone better to spend His time with? Why would God Himself call as His disciples fishermen and tax collectors—men who by their own confession are sinners and unworthy of the Christ’s presence?
I think we all see how this connects to us. I’m not a tax collector, that much is true, but I am a sinner. I’m not worthy of even a king or a president to spend time with me, so I assure you to the fullest, I have no worthiness for God Himself to pay me any mind other than, I suppose, to judge me for what I’ve done. My sin is plain and obvious and God should not have to be subjected to it.
Based on our corporate confession earlier, I would wager we’re each in this very same boat. We’re like Peter earlier. We’re not worthy of the Christ! We’re like Matthew here—counted amongst sinners and ill-fit for Christ’s presence or care. Indeed, how could a perfect and righteous God like ours ever have reason to come near to any of us? Kings won’t. Presidents won’t. So, certainly, God should not, either.
Yet, Christ gives answer to the Pharisees reasonable question.
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.”
God did not send Christ to those who are worthy. He didn’t send the Great Physician to see those who are well. No doctor’s talents are best spent with the healthy and fit. God saw the need of tax collectors and fallen man—sinners—and He gave answer. His answer is Jesus Christ.
How can these lowlifes be made well again? How can the sick be made healthy? How can the sinners be made saints? How can the condemned be made redeemed?
That’s the entire purpose of Jesus’ incarnation. This is why He is present with these deplorable people. Indeed, this is why He is present with you and me. This is why we have the gift of Baptism to draw us faithfully into God’s family and presence. This is why we have God’s Word to promise us His presence always. This is why the Lord’s Supper has been gifted to us, that Christ would recline at table and provide a meal for us! Not so that we can be judged under the Law. But that we could be made well and saved by the Gospel. This is the work of Jesus the Christ. He came to show mercy. He came for the sinners, you and me, to make us righteous.
But the Pharisees question, in my opinion, still hasn’t been fully answered.
Why would Jesus do this?
We know how ridiculous this entire scenario is to the fallen mind. So there really is only one answer that makes it make sense.
Love.
Jesus did this all because of love. The most holy Triune God looked upon the low and fallen estate of man and desired mercy. In love, He extended that mercy through His Son who lived, died, and lived again, so that tax collectors and every sort of vile sinner, you and me, could be called, like Matthew, to “akolouthei moi”, to keep on following Him.
In following Him, not only are we blessed to go and learn and be like Christ, showing mercy to the downtrodden and love to the wicked. We are blessed to have the great promise that our physician has made us well. We are the sick made healthy. We are the sinner made saint. We are the condemned made redeemed.
In Christ, we shall dwell forever.
We have the eternal promise that we shall always be with Christ, even in Paradise, to recline at table and live by Him.
In Christ’s Name,
Amen.