Matthew 9:9-17 - Homiletics

St. Matthew.

I. HIS CALL .

1 . His occupation. He was a publican, a tax-gatherer. The whole class was hated by the Jews as symbols and instruments of a foreign rule; they returned the hatred and contempt with which they were regarded; they exacted more than was appointed them; they were guilty, most of them perhaps, of oppression, of fraud, of unjust accusation. But if all were hated, Hebrew publicans must have been looked upon with an especial hatred. They had sold themselves for gain to the detested Romans; they oppressed their own flesh and blood; they were regarded as traitors, almost as apostates. Such was Matthew, perhaps a Levite, certainly an Israelite, but a publican.

2 . The summons. He was sitting at the receipt of custom, in the actual exercise of his hated calling, as the Lord was passing by. The Lord seeth not as man seeth. He had rejected the scribe who offered to follow him; now he called the publican. His calls are not determined by class, or occupation, or race; the accidents of the outward life do not influence the choice. He searches the hearts. He said unto Matthew, "Follow me." He himself is the Pattern for his apostles, his evangelists, his ministers. They must follow him, living in his presence; that Divine presence is the one source of strength and wisdom. They must imitate his holy example, his humility, his unselfishness, his constraining love. They who follow nearest to him in the path of holiness can best teach the lessons which he taught; for they learn of him deep lessons of spiritual experience; and, learning themselves from the great Teacher, they can teach others the same holy lessons. The publican felt that Divine call in the depths of his soul. He arose; he left all, St. Luke tells us—his old occupation, his old associations and companions. He followed Christ, to be from that time wholly his, to do his will, to preach his gospel; to write, led by the Spirit, the blessed history of his most holy life, his precious death. The publican became an apostle; he reached the highest rank in the Church of Christ. The last shall be first, and the first last.

II. THE FEAST IN HIS HOUSE .

1 . The company. Matthew gave a farewell feast to his old companions. He was about to leave them now to devote himself wholly to the Saviour's service. He had known them long; he would not leave them without a token of good will, and he wished them to share, if it might be, in the great blessing which had changed the course of his life. He made a great feast; the Lord was the honoured Guest. He came in his condescending love, and sat down to meat in the publican's house. It was a strange gathering. Doubtless all the publicans of Capernaum were invited, and with them came many persons of doubtful reputation—many whom "the religious world" stigmatized with more or less reason as "sinners." The Lord Christ, the most Holy One, sat down among this motley throng, not counting the time wasted which was spent in social intercourse with them. It shocked all the prejudices of the time. He was recognized as a Rabbi, a great Teacher; and now he was hazarding his reputation by mixing with these common people. He was incurring the danger of Levitical defilement; he was countenancing by his presence hated occupations, unsatisfactory lives.

2 . The Pharisees. They were offended. They could not have been at the feast; nothing would have induced them to eat with publicans and sinners; but they saw the company coming or going They had not yet openly broken with our Lord; they regarded him doubtfully. He was a great Teacher, a Wonder-worker—that could not be denied; but he had said strange, bold things from time to time. He had not always followed the traditions so sacred in their eyes; and now he was outraging all their prejudices, violating all the accepted rules of religious society, They murmured against his disciples; they had not the courage, it seems, to rebuke the Lord himself, but they asked the disciples the meaning of this strange conduct. How can he do such things? He is bringing discredit on the whole class of rabbis. Why eateth your Teacher with publicans and sinners? Your Teacher, they said. He was not theirs; they could not, listen to the teaching of One who'set such an example.

3 . The Lord ' s reply. He heard the controversy; he answered for his disciples. Perhaps they were perplexed; their old habits still had a strong hold over them. Years afterwards Peter incurred the rebuke of St. Paul for yielding to these Jewish prejudices. They knew not what to say, but the Lord answered for them.

4 . The. disciples of John. They came with the Pharisees ( Mark 2:18 ); they, too, were startled by the Saviour's conduct, but especially by the absence of asceticism from his life and teaching. John came neither eating nor drinking; his disciples lived a life of rigid abstinence like their master. And now

(a) An old garment must not be patched with new, unfulled cloth. The new piece is too strong for the worn garment; it will shrink, too, and rend it. Christ's religion is not merely Judaism with a few additions and improvements; it is a new dispensation. It comes from the same God; but it is fresher, stronger than the old. The old was good in its day, but now the fulness of time is come; the marriage robe is ready; it is fine linen, clean and white, the righteousness of saints, which is the righteousness of Christ; it agreeth not with the old.

(b) New wine must not be put into old wine-skins. It will ferment; it wilt burst the old skins, which have become hard and will not expand. The Pharisees with their effete ceremonialism cannot receive the gospel. He must be a new man who is to be filled with the Spirit. The new wine of the gospel lives and works; it does not suit the stiff, hard, dry, formal life of the Pharisee. Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty; we have received not the spirit of bondage, but the Spirit of adoption, the free Spirit of sonship. But that free Spirit abideth not in mere formalists. His chosen home is in renewed hearts; in those who have been transformed by the renewing of their mind; in whom old things are passed away, and all things are become new.

LESSONS .

1 . The meanest, the most despised, may walk very close with Christ; only follow him when he calls.

2 . Pharisees could blame even Christ himself; we must not expect to escape censure.

3 . Even good men are sometimes censorious; the Christian must answer gently, like his Lord.

4 . Seek to be filled with the Spirit; desire the new wine of charity.