Witness to those who need mercy

Matthew 9:9–13 ⁹As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting in the tax collector’s booth. He said to him, “Follow me.” Matthew got up and followed him.

¹⁰As Jesus was reclining at the table in Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners were actually there too, eating with Jesus and his disciples. ¹¹When the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”

¹²When Jesus heard this, he said to them, “The healthy do not need a physician, but the sick do. ¹³Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ In fact, I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

“This saying is trustworthy and worthy of full acceptance: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners,” of whom I am the worst.” (1 Timothy 1:15)

I watched “Braveheart” earlier this week. At the end of the movie, William Wallace is being tortured for leading the Scots in battle against the King of England. While he is being brought to the platform for his public execution, the crowd boos while throwing rotten food at him.

First, William Wallace is strung up. The crowd cheers at Wallace’s pain. Then Wallace is put on the rack as his limbs are being pulled out of their joints. The crowd winces.

All Wallace has to do to make everything stop is say one word, “Mercy.” He needs to beg for mercy, and his life will be ended instantly. He won’t say it. Then the executioner begins doing something to Wallace that makes the crowd really squirm. Since Wallace won’t beg for mercy, they do. In unison, they begin shouting, “Mercy!” “Mercy!” “Mercy!”

Two of Wallace’s friends and fellow freedom soldiers, an Irishman and a Scotsman, both who are Christian, pray audibly, “Lord, have mercy!”

“Lord have mercy!” Do you ever say that? I hope you do, and when you say it, I hope you mean every word of it. We are utterly dependent on the Lord’s mercy for our physical life and eternal salvation. Like Moses, Paul and Matthew, we all need mercy. We are utterly dependent on God’s mercy for the weather, our family, our income, our health, our faith, and our salvation.

What is mercy? Mercy is being shown kindness that we do not deserve. Mercy is being guilty but not receiving the appointed punishment. Mercy comes from goodness in the heart of the giver, not merit on the part of the receiver.

Only mercy can explain the men God chose to serve him in his ministry – Matthew - a despised tax collector, Moses - an exiled killer, and Paul - a persecutor of Christians. We can see a lot of ourselves in Matthew. Or in Moses. And certainly in Paul. We confess our sins and acknowledge our wretchedness. In doing so, we are not doing something for God. Rather, we are magnifying the Lord’s mercy.

These men needed God’s mercy. They were shown mercy to then show mercy to others. Like Matthew, Moses and Paul, we have experienced God’s gracious mercy. Today God calls us to witness to those who are also in need of mercy.

Listen again to how St. Paul describes it: “This saying is trustworthy and worthy of full acceptance: ‘Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners,’ of whom I am the worst. But I was shown mercy for this reason: that in me, the worst sinner, Christ Jesus might demonstrate his unlimited patience as an example for those who are going to believe in him, resulting in eternal life” (1 Timothy 1:15-16).

Matthew introduces us to himself in his Gospel as he recounts Jesus stopping by his tax collector’s booth in Capernaum.

Matthew has a bunch of tax collector friends. They are the only ones who will hang out with him. Everyone else despises tax collectors. That’s because first century tax collectors have a flexible conscience and selective scruples. Tax collectors, like Matthew, sign a contract with the authorities to regularly submit a predetermined sum of money. Those authorities don’t especially care how their money is collected. They just want their money. The individual tax collectors can be creative with their acquisitions.

The first reason Matthew has no friends - besides his tax collecting buddies - is because everyone else looks at him as a cheat and a swindler. The other reason Matthew is hated is because his countrymen consider him a traitor, a sell-out, a biblical Benedict Arnold. Every time Matthew collects a fee, it is a reminder to the Jews that Rome is in control. The title of “tax collector” is like a swear word.

I find it interesting that Matthew writes “Jesus saw a man named Matthew.” When everyone else looks at Matthew, they see a tax collector – a man who cheats his countrymen and betrays his heritage. But Jesus sees differently than everyone else. He doesn’t see a liar or thief. He sees a future disciple and Gospel author. He doesn’t see an adopted Egyptian prince who killed a guard and is hiding in disguise as a shepherd. He sees the man who will lead his enslaved people on their Exodus to the Promised Land, and the author of the first five Books of the Bible. He doesn’t see a man who threw Christians in prison or put them to death. He sees the greatest missionary in history and the author of thirteen epistles.

He sees people in need of mercy.

What does Jesus see when he looks at you?

He should see a failed father. He sees a man who repents of his failings and basks in the forgiveness of his heavenly Father.

He should see an inconsistent judge. Someone who says we are all too judgmental, but then judges every statue, mascot and historical event. Instead, Jesus sees someone he has already judged as innocent through his sacrificial death and glorious resurrection.

He should see a group of sinners, separating themselves by their skin color, income level or political views. Instead, Jesus sees a group of white-robed saints; brothers and sisters who have been brought into the same family through baptism in the name of the Triune God.

“Lord, have mercy!”

We are certainly in need of God’s mercy.

Look around you. Do you see anyone who needs mercy?

You see the children of a broken home. The couple who is always arguing. A coworker who is perpetually pessimistic. A family member who trolls everything you put on social media. A neighbor who drinks too much. A niece or nephew who is living with their fiancé. A grumpy parent who is unable to see anything good that you do.

Aren’t these the people you try to avoid? Don’t they ruin your day and drag you into the mire? Don’t you have enough issues of your own? You don’t have the energy to deal with their issues, too.

That’s the way the Pharisees felt about Mathew and his tax collector buddies. They said to the disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”

We are all very good at being Pharisees. We will automatically point out the sin in others, while ignoring our own sins. We point out what others are doing wrong based on what we are good at. If we wear masks and are nervous about the virus, we can call others selfish for not wearing masks and not caring about others. If we don’t wear a mask, we can say that others aren’t trusting in God enough. If we are part of a family with two parents, we can look down on the family broken by divorce. If we are a single parent, we can argue that other parents have no idea how hard single parenting is. We will naturally be critical of people who make more money … or less money than us, who have a different skin color or speak a different language than us, who live in a different neighborhood than us. That is our inner Pharisee.

Don’t look at what people look like or what they’ve done or what you think about them. Look at them as sinners trapped by Satan and in need of Christ’s mercy.

People are lost, frightened, angry, disappointed. Instead of avoiding them, they need your affection. Instead of lashing out at them, they need you to love them. Instead of turning your back on them, they need you to reach out to them. They need you to pray for them, “Lord, have mercy!” They need you to witness Christ’s mercy to them.

Tell them that Jesus has a special place in his heart for society’s sinners. That’s why you follow Jesus. Jesus told the Pharisees, “The healthy do not need a physician, but the sick do.” Jesus comes to be the spiritual MD for those who are sick in their souls. Jesus knows that sinful souls need what he is offering – the only antidote to sin – his mercy and forgiveness.

That’s why Jesus reaches out his hand, calls with his voice and says to Matthew, “Follow me.” Matthew’s reaction? Matthew follows. The other evangelists don’t dwell on Matthew’s shady past. But Matthew does in detail. He wants people to know that Jesus is the Doctor who heals souls. He saves sinners. He calls a tax collector to be a disciple, then an apostle and then an evangelist – a Gospel writer. Matthew wants his readers – that means you – to know that no matter who you are, what you’ve done, or how bad your life is, Jesus says, “Follow me.”

Notice what Matthew does as soon as he starts following Jesus. He invites others to follow him following Jesus. People who receive mercy naturally share that mercy. That’s exactly what Matthew did. He sent out a dinner invitation to all his old friends – the tax collectors, his business associates and maybe a prostitute or two – certainly all of them sinners. They are, 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 meet their Savior and leave behind their sinful lives. Matthew witnesses Christ’s mercy to his friends who needed that mercy.

Who do you know that needs Christ’s mercy?

With the time he spent with his Savior, Matthew learned to look at things with a new perspective. By inspiration of the Holy Spirit, he wrote down things no other evangelist recorded. With Jesus’ mercy in his mind and heart and hand, only Matthew penned the parable of the laborers who worked different hours but received the same pay. Only Matthew penned Jesus’ parable of high finance where an unforgiving debtor is forgiven a debt of millions but refuses to help a friend who owes him a few bucks. Only Matthew penned the parable of Jesus separating the sheep from the goats on the Last Day.

Matthew, the former tax collector, penned a beautiful story of his Savior’s mercy. He invited others to dine with the Savior of mercy.

You and I have been bathed in the mercy of Christ’s baptismal waters. We eat the meal of mercy in the Lord’s Supper. We are privileged to be called by name by our Triune God. We are blessed to be invited to follow our Savior. We are witnesses of the Lord’s mercy. Now, like Matthew, Moses and Paul, we are called to be witnesses of that same mercy. You were once strugglers and stragglers. Now Jesus wants you to invite other stragglers and love other strugglers. God wants you to treat others in their time of weakness in the same way he has treated you in your weakness.

St. Jude reminds us, “Show mercy to those who are wavering. Save others by snatching them out of the fire. Show mercy to still others with fear” (Jude 22,23).

A believer who is fully aware of being treated better than he or she deserves finds joy in being merciful to others. Amen.

“Now to the King eternal, to the immortal, invisible, only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.” (1 Timothy 1:17)