The Conversion of Matthew
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The Calling of Matthew
9 As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth. “Follow me,” he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him.
10 While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples. 11 When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
12 On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 13 But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’[a] For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
The Conversion of Matthew Preaching at St Peter’s Stanley Sunday 3.9.00
Introduction Today we look at the conversion of Matthew the Tax collector.
What do you think is special about Jesus. What made you want to follow him? I remember when I was a young boy kneeling … and prayed prayer ‘Lord Jesus come into my heart… I want to be one of your followers.’
Today we heard about Matthew becoming a follower of Jesus, becoming a Christian.
I don’t know what made Matt make such as total response – he left everything – it was a new life in Jesus.
Tax collectors had the security of a good job they were well off. So Matt’s actions meant a massive change for him. Tax Collectors were unpopular back then just as today. They collected tax for Romans and bit on top for self! They were the fat cats of their day. For Matt to become a follower of Jesus meant a totally new life, leaving the old behind.
* The Invitation
When Jesus passed Matt’s tax office as he walked out of Capernaum he was already the talk of the town. He’d healed a centurion’s servant, he’d healed Peter’s mother-in-law, he’d healed a paralysed man and many others who put their faith in him. He stilled a storm by speaking to it, he gave the religious people some stick for their poor response to him. How do you think Matthew felt – was he not bothered, interested, intrigued – but then Jesus called him – how did that feel? Was he surprised, thrilled, nervous?
Matt wasn’t a valued member of the village, he was an outcast (“a scab”). But Jesus didn’t see what others saw, Jesus knew what Matt could become in Him. Jesus was not prejudiced (as we may have been). Notice how many times Matthew’s name appears 3 times in the first 2 verses. Jesus is not prejudiced, for all Matt’s faults and flaws Jesus saw him as a valued person made in God’s image (as we all are). Jesus saw what Matt could become when set free by Christ and given a new beginning in Him.
We need to ask ourselves how do we regard people whom we mingle with from day to day. Who do we NOT invite to church, or to turn to Jesus – who do we think Jesus wouldn’t reach out to (who do we think isn’t the stuff Christians are made of?)
I was recently talking to a lady called Eve who said, ‘my soul is still up for grabs’ – this troubled me, how could I tell her Jesus is saying to her ‘follow me.’
In contrast to that, I was outside Wakefield Cathedral four years ago and there was a service in the Cathedral… it was packed out and a young girl, heavily pregnant went in but no one would give up their seat for her. She came out again and sat on a park bench unable to get into the church. The tragedy was that those people in the church were so focussed on their worship, their religion that they didn’t see the one walking among them looking for an invite to sit down.
I ask again, who do we know who we do not invite to come with us, (not just to Church) but to journey with and to Jesus. Is it a neighbour, a friend, a spouse, a relative? Jesus longs that none should perish. Let’s not duck the invitation, let us invite those we mingle with, to Church, to the forthcoming Mission.
* The Acceptance
Then there’s the acceptance. I’ve already said I don’t know why Matthew made such an absolute response, no-one knows what is going on in anyone’s life, when they are ready to talk about God, or eternal life or even dying. For Matt ‘The Acceptance’ seemed like a straightforward thing. “he followed him.”
Remember the thief on the cross next to Jesus simply said ‘remember me…’ and that was enough.
Sometimes we can complicate what it means to be a follower of Christ. Someone here can say or pray ‘Lord, I believe in you, I give my life to you, forgive my past sins,’ … and I they believe – then that’s it! They are a born again a Christian, new beginning, old is past and God will look after what is to follow.
The acceptance for Matthew was not complicated. I remember siting down on quayside harbour and my friend Clive….just sat and prayed together?
* The Evening Do!
What did Matthew do – I like this bit, it’s as if Matt thought,
‘I could never do the kind of things those fishermen do, I could never be as religious as those Pharisees, what could I do to bring other people into contact with my Jesus my Saviour? I can’t do much of the traditional stuff, but I know how to throw a party!’
And that’s what Matt did threw a party…
The Fat Cat had been changed by his meeting with Jesus. The one who made his money by adding as big a mark-up was transformed . He became generous with his money - Matthew threw a party, a feast.
That’s what happens when people meet Jesus. They are changed, transformed.
So let us ask ourselves, what can we do to bring other people into contact with our Jesus our Saviour?
Well, we’re having a mission soon and a exploring Christianity course. Let us use the mission weekend as our way of inviting those we don’t usually invite to church, those we think Jesus wouldn’t reach out to. Those who do we think aren’t the stuff Christians are made off.
Perhaps I can return to Eve ‘my soul is still up for grabs’ – and the reason it troubled me. I wanted to tell her it’s time to get down off the fence – choose Christ. Maybe you heard the last words of the Concord pilot as it went down. It was taken from the flight recorder - “It’s too late.”
We don’t hold the future in our hands, and we don’t know what the future holds but I know who holds the future and I know who holds my future in His hands – if your ‘soul is still up for grabs today,’ get it sorted, if you know someone close to you who’s ‘soul is still up for grabs’ make a point of bringing them to church and the mission.
[Conclusion] Matthew was changed by a simple invitation from Jesus to follow him, without much fuss and drama he accepted the invitation, he was so touched by his meeting with Jesus, he had an evening do!
