The Lutheran Hour
-
"Needing The Doctor"
- Download MP3 No bonus material MP3
-
Text: Matthew 9:9-13
-
Christ is risen! He is risen, indeed. Today the living Lord, the Divine Physician, Whose sacrifice on Calvary’s cross cures sick and sinful souls, summons each listener with the words: “Follow Me.” It does not matter if your life has been, up until this very moment, filled with loneliness and loss; Jesus wishes to give you a new way of living. So that you might be forgiven and be at peace, He lived for you, died for you, and now, in resurrection victory, calls you to a new life of healing and hope, power and peace.
Jesus, our spiritual Physician did die to save us. But in spite of the Savior’s sacrifice, the world is still filled with sick and sinful souls. That’s sad, it’s sorry, and at times, just a little bit stupid. Need an example or two? Okay, let’s see what we’ve got here. Police in Boston investigated the report of a stolen car. During the questioning, the owner shared that in his vehicle had been two tickets for that night’s Red Sox game. Thinking they had nothing to lose, the police went to the game, and sure enough, found the thieves sitting in the man’s seats, having driven to the game in his stolen car. The world is filled with sick and sinful souls that need a spiritual Physician. As long as I’m looking through my files, would you like to hear about the robber who found a new use for duct tape? He made a disguise, for himself, of the sticky stuff. Wrapped his whole head in it – forgot to leave an opening for his mouth and nose; he wound up unconscious on the floor. Yes, it’s sad that in spite of the Savior’s sacrifice, regardless of the great Physician’s healing medicine, the world is still filled with sorry, sick, and sinful souls.
I’d like to take some time today and introduce you to one such “sad soul.” The man I would like you to meet is named Matthew. In order to properly know him, it’s necessary for you to journey back in time with me, let’s say, about 20 centuries or so. We’ll find Matthew at work, sitting in the tax collector’s booth at Capernaum. Capernaum is nothing glamorous, just a small and prosperous town situated on the northern edge of the Sea of Galilee.
There he is – that’s Matthew – over there. Can you see him? No, we’re not going to go over there, not yet, at least. First, I’d like to give you some information about this fellow. Because Matthew is a tax collector, most of his ex-friends and family would be more than glad to tell you that he is a sad and sorry sinner. They feel that way for two reasons: first, tax collecting in Matthew’s century is far more creative than it is in ours. It is also far more crooked. In Matthew’s day, if you wanted to be a tax collector, you would do well to have what might be called, a flexible conscience and selective scruples. Tax collectors like Matthew, sign a contract with the authorities to regularly submit a pre-determined sum of money. Those authorities don’t especially care how their tax collectors raise the money; all they want is a set and steady flow of cash. Working out the details – that’s left to the individual tax collector.
As you might imagine, this practice is terribly abused, and as a result, the people hate tax collectors. Suppose for example, you strapped some things you were taking to market on the back of your donkey. When you get to Matthew’s table, he might charge you for using the road; he might charge you for the things you were going to sell. He could charge you for the servants you had assist you in making your product or growing your produce. Matthew might even set a fee on the donkey you were using for delivery. You get the idea?
Cicero, the Roman statesman, when he made a list of jobs that no gentleman would ever do – he put tax collecting right near the top. Another ancient writer promised that when tax collectors died, they immediately went to the underworld where they were tormented and plagued by demons. People like that mental picture. Now if the Romans feel this way about their own tax collectors, imagine how the conquered people felt.
And that takes us to the second reason that Matthew is hated. Matthew is considered, by his fellow countrymen, to be a traitor, a conspirator, a sell out, a biblical Benedict Arnold. Every time Matthew collects a fee, it gives a reminder to the Jews that Rome is in control. Take a look over there. You can see it as people step up to Matthew’s booth. They do their business with him and walk away. There are no smiles, no jokes, and no banter. To those Jews that are paying their taxes, men like Matthew have no social standing. Matthew’s testimony cannot be accepted in a Jewish court of law. Matthew’s money cannot be accepted by the local synagogue. Why, even the title “tax collector” is a swear word.
Now that you understand Matthew’s position a little better, we can move closer. Come on. Let’s listen to what’s going to happen. I’m sure that something is going to happen, because Jesus is coming. Wherever Jesus goes, something happens. Our text says, “Jesus saw a man named Matthew.” See what I told you? Something has happened already. What, you didn’t notice it? I’m surprised, because it was pretty important. Listen again. “Jesus saw a man named Matthew.” When everybody else looks at Matthew, they see a tax collector, a man who has rejected his Jewish heritage, and a man who has betrayed his country. But Jesus, He sees Matthew differently than everybody else. Jesus does that a lot, I think. You can be an adulteress at a Samaritan well, or a dreaded leper – it doesn’t make any difference. Jesus sees you as you really are. Usually that means He sees you as a sick, sinful soul that needs the healing of a spiritual Physician. That’s why Jesus, just now, didn’t see a tax collector. Because He is God’s Son, Jesus knows Matthew inside and out. Jesus knows Matthew’s heart, his mind, his soul. Jesus knows Matthew’s dreams, his pains, his loneliness, and, yes, his sins.
I wonder if Matthew will try to make Jesus pay taxes. That could be an interesting conversation. You can almost hear them. Matthew might ask: “Where are you going?” and Jesus would reply, “Where I’ve been going all along.” “And where is that?” “To Jerusalem.” “And what will You do when You get to Jerusalem?” “I’m going to be betrayed with a friend’s kiss; tried on trumped up charges; beaten, spit upon, whipped and crucified so that sinful souls who have faith in Me as their Savior might be reconciled to God.” Next question. “Interesting, and, Sir, what business are You in?” Jesus would say: “I’m about My Father’s business of saving the world from their sins.” Matthew would then ask, “Can You be a little bit more specific Sir, what kind of business is Your Father’s business?” Jesus would have to reply, “Non-profit.” The questions would keep coming. Matthew would have had to ask: “And how about these men with you? What are their daily wages?” To that, Jesus would have smiled and said, “They get nothing. In fact they quit their jobs to follow Me.” Matthew: “Well, how much is your house worth?” Jesus: “I don’t have one.” Matthew: “Look, do you own anything?” Jesus would have said, “Just the clothes on my back and a great love for, and a desire to heal, the sick souls of sinful humanity.”
Of course, none of that conversation happens. There wasn’t time. Look, Jesus, seeing a sick soul comes up to Matthew’s booth and says, “Follow Me.” If you don’t know, Jesus seems to have a special place in His heart for these people who are society’s sinners. He, Himself, said that He had come to seek and save the lost and be a spiritual MD for those who were sick in their souls. Because He knew that sinful souls needed what He had to offer, the grace and forgiveness of sins, Jesus called those sinful souls and transformed them into saved saints. They became “new creatures in Christ Jesus.” (II Cor. 5:17) That’s exactly what is happening, right now. Jesus says, “Follow Me.” Matthew’s reaction? Matthew is following. You know, the other evangelists never dwell on Matthew’s somewhat shady past. But Matthew goes into detail. He wants people to know that Jesus is the Doctor Who heals souls; He wants us to know that Jesus came to invite us to follow Him. Matthew wants you to know, no matter what you’ve done, no matter how bad your life, Jesus says, “follow Me.”
You know, as I’m traveling for “The Lutheran Hour,” there are quite a few times when I find myself in a strange place and don’t know how to get to my destination. Although I hate to do it, I’m learning to swallow my pride and ask for directions. Occasionally, people, usually life-long residents of the place where I’m visiting, will say, “Well, what you do, is you go down to the intersection where the old school house used to be (it burned down about five years ago), and then you make a left. Take that two miles south to the old Krueger farm. They don’t live there any more ….” Well, those directions are hard to follow, but a couple of weeks ago I asked for assistance and the man didn’t tell me where to go. Instead, he got in his car and said, “Follow me, I’ll take you right to it.” That’s what Jesus does. He doesn’t, like the other religions of this world, give you a list of “do this, and don’t do” that. No, Jesus leads the way. He shows us how to get to heaven. No, that’s wrong. Jesus is the way to heaven.
Now, I’m running out of time, so I have to take you away from Matthew, and Capernaum and bring you back to the here and now. Before we go, let me tell you what would have happened if we had had the time to stay around to watch. We would have seen Matthew “following Jesus.” Forget giving His boss a two-week notice. Forget worrying about his medical plan, retirement plans and giving his magazine subscriptions a change of address. Matthew got up and followed Jesus. Now at this point, most people nod their heads and say, “Yes, good decision. It’s what I would have done if I had been there.” And probably you would.
But I have to confess; the world is filled with a great many sick and sinful souls who procrastinate when it comes to the Savior’s salvation. They say, “I’m ready to follow you, Lord, as soon as … I’m out of college, as soon as I pay off the loans … as soon as I’m settled … as soon as I’m released from the military … as soon as I’m married … as soon as I have children. I’m ready to leave all Lord, but Your timing is off. I will follow You, Jesus, as soon as I get my house; as soon as work calms down; as soon as the mortgage is finished; as soon as I find a church that isn’t filled with a bunch of hypocrites; as soon as the kids are through school … as soon as my retirement account is where it needs to be … as soon as I’m done traveling … as soon as I get situated in the nursing home. Lord, I will follow You, but can’t You find a better time?”
Matthew shows us how following Jesus is supposed to be done. Matthew knew he was a sick soul that needed the healing touch that comes from the Savior-Physician, Jesus. The text says, “Matthew got up and followed Him.” Another Gospel writer, recording the same event adds, Matthew “left all” and followed Jesus. Now I have to tell you that Luke, he was the other writer, wasn’t quite accurate. Matthew didn’t leave all to follow Jesus.
Matthew tried to take a lot of things with him. As soon as this sick soul had been called to salvation, he decided he ought to gather together his friends and see if they’d like to follow Jesus along with him. That is a common reaction from those who have just met Jesus, the Savior. Freshly filled with the peace that comes from having a Friend Who never leaves you; Who still loves and forgives you, no matter what you’ve done, believers in Christ know they have received something wonderful, something undeserved. And they want to share that good news of eternal life with others. They want to grab those who are closest to them and say, “Come, join me, follow the Savior.” That’s what this Lutheran Hour broadcast is all about. People who know Jesus as their Savior, who have forgiveness, want to share it with others. That’s what Matthew did. He sent out a dinner invitation to all his old friends … the other tax collectors, his business associates, maybe a prostitute or two, certainly sinners all. They were, after all, the only ones who would take his invitation seriously. He invited them to a banquet at his house. He invited them to meet Jesus. He invited them to see the Savior and walk away from their old lives. Matthew wanted these folks right by his side. That is also what “The Lutheran Hour” is doing today. When we get to heaven, we want you there with us.
No, Matthew didn’t leave everything behind when the Holy Spirit called him. Matthew took his pen and ink with him. Thank God he did. In the time he spent with the Savior, Matthew, looking at things from his unique perspective, wrote down things no other Gospel writer recorded. Matthew alone, talks about how they paid the temple tax through a fishy miracle. (Chapter 17:24-27) Only Matthew records the story of the laborers who worked different hours but received the same pay. Only Matthew records Jesus’ parable of high finance where an unforgiving debtor is forgiven a debt of millions but refuses to help a friend who also owes a few bucks. Matthew didn’t leave everything behind. He took his pen and ink with him. Because he did, children have learned the Lord’s Prayer and heard the Sermon on the Mount. Because he did, we know of the Wise Men, and the parable of the Last Judgment. Matthew, the tax collector, painted a beautiful picture of His Savior, so that you and I might know the wonders of God’s great love … so we could, day by day, see the Savior more clearly, love Him more dearly.
So, we know what Matthew, the social outcast, the public pariah did – how about you? Do you, like Matthew, feel alone and avoided? Are you disappointed in love, hurt by uncaring hands? Jesus, today is calling. Does the world frighten you? Are you fearful of being hurt? Jesus, today is calling. Have you been let down by those you counted on; betrayed by those closest to you? Jesus, today is calling. Are you one of those sick sinners who need the loving hands of the spiritual Physician, Jesus? Jesus, today is reaching out to you. The hands that were pierced with nails, so that you might be taken to heaven are reaching out – to you. Know that the transformation Jesus made in Matthew can be yours. Today Jesus is coming to you. Jesus is saying to all of you, “Come, leave behind your life of sin and separation. Come, believe on me and I will give you a new life worth living. Come, be My disciple. Do not turn away my love, my mercy, my concern for you. Come, as a forgiven brother or sister. Come, why hesitate or hang back. Come and know the joy of a loving Father. Come, before it is too late. Sick and sinful souls come as you are, believe and be saved through your Physician’s sacrifice.
It was around 1985, when a friend of mine was backpacking through Jordan. It was late afternoon, or early evening, when he stopped and watched three shepherds who were watering their flocks at a common well. As the flocks had mixed together, my friend wondered how the shepherds would separate them. Eventually, one of the shepherds stood up and called out, “Menah,” Arabic for “follow me.” Unbelievably, 30 sheep immediately walked out of the super-flock and began to follow their shepherd up the hill. The second shepherd shouted, “Menah,” and his flock followed after him. As for the other sheep, they acted as if nothing had happened. When the third shepherd stood up, my friend asked, “Would your sheep follow me if I called them?” The man shook his head. Having received permission to try, he called out, “Menah, Menah!” The sheep looked at him as if he had lost his mind. “Will they always follow you?” my friend asked. The shepherd said, “Always. Except when a sheep is sick; then the creature follows any one.” Today Jesus, your Physician, your Shepherd, your Savior, is calling, “Menah,” come. Hear His voice. Follow that voice. It will change your life. God grant it be so. Amen.
LUTHERAN HOUR MAILBOX (Questions & Answers) for September 21, 2003
Topic: “Christians Are Hypocrites”ANNOUNCER: Now Pastor Ken Klaus responds to questions from our listeners. I’m Mark Eischer. Pastor Klaus, one of our listeners has been sharing her faith with a family member, but that family member refuses to take the church seriously. He says he’s not interested in church because it’s filled with hypocrites.
KLAUS: Mark, before I tackle the question about hypocrisy, let’s deal with the person who called in.
ANNOUNCER: The person who called in?
KLAUS: Yes. That person has quite obviously been working for some time with their loved one, and that work seems to have fallen on deaf ears. There’s no doubt in my mind that the caller is extremely worried, frustrated and fearful. She’s like a lot of people who know the Savior and value the heaven He has won for us.
ANNOUNCER: And also fear the hell that awaits those who don’t believe in Jesus as their Savior.
KLAUS: Right. And what we need to do is give this person a word of encouragement. When it comes to sharing Christ with your family, don’t stop, keep it up. This is the Lord’s cause, as well as yours. Don’t get discouraged, the Word works at the Lord’s time, not ours. So, even though you would like to have a positive reply right now, it may now come according to your timetable.
ANNOUNCER: Now, how will you answer that question about hypocrites in the church?
KLAUS: A number of ways. First is to say, “You bet!” Although there are many sincere, faithful people in the church, there are also hypocrites and not a few outright unbelievers mixed in. And there are also people who hate, who are prejudiced, who steal, who have thoughts of lust, who covet and blaspheme, and are guilty of just about any other sin you can name. It’s precisely because there are sinners in this world that Jesus came. We couldn’t fulfill the law’s demands, Jesus did that for us. We couldn’t erase our sins, but Jesus did that for us too, by dying on the cross and rising from the dead. Scripture says it: Jesus came to seek and save the lost.
ANNOUNCER: And that is the Gospel. Unfortunately, not all churches get this message straight or make it the central focus.
KLAUS: Can you explain that a little bit, Mark, what do you mean?
ANNOUNCER: Well, if a church somehow conveys the idea that Christians are better than others, or are morally superior, I can see where this hypocrisy charge might apply, because we’d be pretending to be something we’re not. Or let’s say the church presents itself as some kind of mutual improvement society. I can tell you, there are a lot of Christians, myself included, who don’t improve all that much from week to week. Come Sunday morning, I’m still just another sinner who needs Christ’s forgiveness. And isn’t that really the main difference between those in the church and those outside?
KLAUS: Yes – through faith in Jesus Christ, church sinners are forgiven sinners. Their sins have been erased by the blood of Jesus, they are saved. As a result, they try to live their lives as properly as they can, in thanks to the Lord.
ANNOUNCER: And even so, they slip and fall.
KLAUS: And even so, the Lord forgives, picks them up and they start over again.
ANNOUNCER: So what would you say to this person who sees our hypocrisy?
KLAUS: I’d say, “You’re right in what you see, why don’t you come and join us forgiven hypocrites.” And by the way, I might also ask, “Can you name any place where there aren’t hypocrites?” Are all the people he works with sincere, solid, faithful employees all the time? If not, he’d better quit work. When he goes shopping and the salesperson says, “Thank you for shopping at our store,” do they really mean it? If not, he’d better not shop there any more. If he goes to a ballgame, are all the people in the stands sincerely supporting the team? If not, he shouldn’t go! He might get contaminated by the hypocrites.
ANNOUNCER: I think I get it.
KLAUS: I know you do. Let’s take it a step further. Is this person saying they are never hypocritical? Do they always mean everything they say? Do they never put a “spin” on their remarks?
ANNOUNCER: So you’re saying, everybody is a hypocrite to one extent or another.
KLAUS: Exactly. And the church is for hypocrites. Jesus came for hypocrites, and every other kind of sinner. And that person who is looking at us, needs the forgiveness only Jesus can offer. In short, anyone who says they aren’t a hypocrite is …
ANNOUNCER: being hypocritical. But Jesus came to save them too.
KLAUS: Exactly. That’s why Jesus came.
ANNOUNCER: This has been a presentation of Lutheran Hour Ministries.