FOLLOW ME

Matthew 9:1-17

Key Verse: 9:9

“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.” 

What is the most significant day of your life? It might be the day you graduated from high school, the day your first child was born or the day of some life-changing tragedy. In today’s passage, we witness the most significant day in the lives of a paralyzed man and a tax collector: the day they met Jesus personally and decided to follow him. 

I. Jesus helped a helpless paralytic (1-8)

Look at verse 1. Jesus spent so much time in Capernaum that Matthew referred to it as his “own town” (cf. Mk 2:1). One day, when Jesus had finished his work on the other side of the lake, he stepped into a boat, crossed over and came to his own town (1). What happened next?

First, a helpless paralytic. Look at verse 2. As soon as Jesus returned to Capernaum, some men brought to him a paralytic, lying on a mat (2). We don’t know how this man became a paralytic, but paralysis became the defining tragedy of his life. Human beings are created in the image of God to conquer and rule over themselves and God’s Creation. This man, however, could not even go to the bathroom without help. He couldn’t get a job. He couldn’t get married or have kids. The more he depended on others, the more he complained about them. It seemed that it would have been better for everyone if he had never been born.

Second, “Take heart” (2). Look at verse 2. “Some men brought to him a paralytic, lying on a mat....” These men loved their friend and they were ready to do anything to help him, but what could they do? They carried him from one doctor to another, but the doctors couldn’t help him. They carried him to specialists, psychologists hypnotists, and acupuncturists, but no one could help him. One day, they heard about Jesus. They were sure that Jesus would help their friend. Since he couldn’t go by himself, they picked him up and brought him to Jesus. Verse 2 says that Jesus saw their faith. The faith of the paralytic’s friends was essential in bringing him to Jesus. When they believed that Jesus would help their friend they overcame all kinds of obstacles and brought him to Jesus. 

Look at verse 2 again. “When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, ‘Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.” Proverbs 4:23 says that the heart is the wellspring of life. According to this biblical truth, the paralytic’s most crippling problem was not his paralysis, but his hopeless heart. When he was younger, he must have dreamt in his sleep that he could walk, run and jump. When he woke up he tried to jump out of bed, but he was still paralyzed. When he was younger, he must have planned to do something great with his life. He could go to college and become a professor. There were, however, too many difficulties: he had no money; his friends couldn’t take him to class every day; and he never learned how to write. Eventually, he gave up hope and resigned himself to a helpless, useless life. Jesus exhorted him, “Take heart!” meaning, “Don’t give up! I have great hope for you!” As soon as he heard life-giving Jesus’ word, his spirit revived and his hope was reborn.

Look again at Jesus’ words to the paralytic: “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.” Jesus had never met this man, but he loved him as a son and proclaimed forgiveness for all his sins.” What sins could a paralyzed man commit? There are many. He probably was a very self-centered person. He couldn’t think about other people, because he was too busy thinking about his own problems and needs. He could have been a blessing to others by reading the Bible to children or to the blind. He could have used his voice to sing hymns of praise to God, rather than complaining. He didn’t, however, do any of these things— not because he was paralyzed— but because he never even thought of them. He was just too self-centered. 

This man’s root problem was not paralysis, but sin. Sin kept him from living a useful life. Sin cut him off from God and made him miserable. Sin made him a burden to others. He didn’t physical healing: He needed the forgiveness of sins to heal his crippled soul.

Third, Jesus’ authority to forgive sins (3-8). Look at verses 3-5. When the teachers of the law heard Jesus proclaim the forgiveness of sins to the paralyzed man, some of them said to themselves, “This fellow is blaspheming!” Knowing their thoughts, Jesus rebuked them: “Why do you entertain such evil thoughts in your hearts? Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’?” It seems easy to say, “Your sins are forgiven,” since no one can refute the statement. On the other hand, if we say, “Get up and walk,” we have to back up our words with action. In reality, it was relatively easy for Jesus to heal this man’s legs by his divine power. To forgive his sins, however, Jesus had to suffer God’s terrible wrath and die in his place. Even so, Jesus was happy to heal the man’s paralysis in order to demonstrate his authority to forgive sins. Read verse 6. “‘But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins....’ Then he said to the paralytic, ‘Get up, take your mat and go home.’”

Look at verse 7. “And the man got up and went home.” What ordinary language for such an extraordinary miracle! As amazing it was to behold this miracle, the crowd was even more amazed at its spiritual significance. Read verse 8. “When the crowd saw this, they were filled with awe; and they praised God, who had given such authority to men.” Their joy and awe were not because they had seen another miracle, but because through this miracle they came to know that Jesus had the authority to forgive sins. In the past, they had watched Jesus as spectators, “Wow!” “Cool!” “That’s tight!” This time, however, Jesus’ message touched them personally: he had the authority to forgive their sins.

Many people are spiritually paralyzed. They don’t seem to be able to anything for themselves. We want them to get up and do something useful. We try to help them with our advice, but it doesn’t work. They need to come Jesus, receive the forgiveness of sins and be healed. It took four people to bring this man to Jesus. Likewise, it takes a great labor of love to bring one spiritually-paralyzed person to Jesus. Even so, we have to do it. Jesus is the only one who can help them. Jesus is the only one who can cleanse them from their sins and set them free from shame and guilt. Jesus is the only one who can set them free from the bondage of sin, so that they can live noble and glorious lives in him.

II. Jesus called a selfish sinner (9-13)

As Jesus went on his way, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth. What kind of a man was Matthew, and why did Jesus approach him?

First, a man named Matthew (9). We don’t know how Matthew became a tax collector. Perhaps he wanted to escape the humiliation of poverty. Maybe he desired the status, security or comforts that money could buy. One thing we know: he believed that money was the key to his happiness, so became a tax collector. The Jewish people despised tax collectors as traitors as thieves. They were excluded from the synagogue worship and cut off from Jewish society. Matthew, however, didn’t care about any of these things— as long as he could make lots of money. Matthew was shrewd: he decided what he wanted and did whatever it took to achieve his goal, letting nothing get in his way. He denied himself, worked hard and accomplished his dream. He became a tax collector and made buckets of money. There was, however, one problem: money didn’t make him happy.

Living in Capernaum, Matthew probably had seen Jesus and his disciples many times. Outwardly, he mocked their simple faith and tattered clothes. Inwardly, however, he envied their joyful fellowship with Jesus. He yearned to join them, but he didn’t think Jesus would ever accept a wretched sinner like him. So he told himself, “I don’t need Jesus,” and he went home to count his money.

One day, however, he heard something amazing: Jesus had declared that he had the authority to forgive sins. Then he proved that his statement was true by healing a paralyzed man! “Is it possible,” Matthew wondered, “that Jesus could forgive even my sins?” As he was pondering these thoughts Jesus came right up to his tax collector’s booth and invited him: “Follow me.” Matthew didn’t need to be asked twice! He pushed aside his stacks of money, jumped over the counter, and began a new life as a disciple of Jesus.

Matthew gave up a lot to follow Jesus, but he never regretted his decision. No matter what he lost, Jesus always gave him so much more in return! He gave up wealth and privilege, but he received inexpressible joy in fellowship with Jesus (1Pe 1:8). He gave up a steady job, but he received the peace of God that transcends understanding (Php 4:7). He gave up his identity as a rich and powerful man, but he found a noble and  glorious identity as a disciple of Jesus. Later Matthew would record the parable of The Pearl of Great Value: “...the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it” (Mt 13:45‑46). Matthew still valued his money, his house and his job, but he considered them rubbish compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Jesus. Matthew gave up everything he’d worked his whole life to achieve, but he gained everything he’d ever wanted in return. He wasn’t crazy and he wasn’t foolish: he was very shrewd. He found everything he wanted in Jesus.

Second, God’s desire (10-13). Read verse 10. “While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and ‘sinners’ came and ate with him and his disciples.” What a beautiful scene it must have been! The “old Matthew” was selfish. When he was dining in a restaurant, he would always go to the restroom when the check arrived, so that someone else would have to pay. After he received Jesus’ grace, however, he opened his wallet and threw a big party in Jesus’ honor. He wanted to thank Jesus for giving him a new life and to introduce Jesus to his fellow tax collectors. Many notorious sinners who came didn’t understand why they were so happy to be there.

Some people at the banquet, however, were not happy. Look at verse 11. “When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, ‘Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and “sinners”?’” The Pharisees thought that they could dedicate themselves to God by separating themselves from “common sinners”. So they criticized Jesus for eating with such “dirty people”. Jesus, however, exposed the flaw in their logic. Read verses 12-13. “On hearing this, Jesus said, ‘It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. ¹³But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” 

The Pharisees were highly-trained Bible scholars, but they were ignorant of God: they didn’t understand God’s deep desire to forgive sinners. When the people of Israel sinned against him, God disciplined them so that they would repent and be restored. Spiritual people are not those who separate themselves from others like monks or who condemn others like judges. Truly spiritual people are like doctors, who help sinners to be healed in Jesus (Cf. Gal 6:1).

Jesus told the paralytic to “Get up, take your mat and go home.” This man’s mission as a disciple of Jesus began by showing his family and friends how much the Lord had done for him (Cf. Mk 5:19). Those who had known him and taken care of him could best see the clear evidence of Jesus’ life-changing power in him. Matthew, however, had no friends. His family probably had disowned him when he became a tax collector. So Jesus invited Matthew to join him as a disciple and share his life. 

Can you imagine how difficult it was to live with such a proud, selfish sinner? No one wanted to sit next to Matthew: he was too selfish! Eventually, however, Matthew was thoroughly changed and became a source of blessing to countless generations. Matthew became a visible demonstration of Jesus’ sin-forgiving love. People loved to hear his life testimony: “Tell us what a terrible sinner you were!” they demanded, and Matthew gladly complied. “I was soooo selfish that I would steal my neighbor’s newspaper and eat my roommate’s food!” When people heard about Jesus’ love and grace for Matthew, they took heart. They began to hope that Jesus would forgive their sins and call them to fulfill God’s glorious mission for their lives.

The United States is full of many people like Matthew, who are shrewd and selfish. There are many helpless people like the paralytic. Jesus wants us to give our lives to serve them until they can be completely healed in him and fulfill his glorious purpose for their lives.

III. New life in Jesus (14-17)

Look at verse 14. “Then John’s disciples came and asked him, ‘How is it that we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?’” John’s disciples were contaminated by the yeast of the Pharisees: they thought that their fasting made them holier than Jesus’ disciples. Jesus expected his disciples to fast in the future (Cf. 6:16-18), but there was no reason for them to fast while he was with them. Read verse 15. “Jesus answered, ‘How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while he is with them? The time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast.’” Biblically-speaking, people fast in order to humble themselves before God and seek his mercy. There was no reason for Jesus’ disciples to fast while he was with them. Instead of criticizing them, John’s disciples should have believed in Jesus and joined their joyful fellowship!

Read verses 16-17. “No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch will pull away from the garment, making the tear worse. ¹⁷Neither do men pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst, the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.” In these parables, the old garment and old wineskins represent our old lives. Jesus is not a “patch” we can use to fix up our old lives. If we try to “add” Jesus to our old lives, everything will be ruined. On the other hand if, like Matthew, we give up our old lives in order to follow Jesus, we will never regret the decision!

As a young man I was selfish and ambitious, like Matthew. In my own mind, I had rehearsed my inauguration speech as the President of the United States many times. I worked hard in high school and college and seemed to be on the “fast track” to success. There was, however, one problem: my worldly success didn’t make me happy. One day, Jesus came to me when two servants of God asked, “Do you want to study the Bible?” Without knowing why, I agreed. Eventually, my spiritual eyes were opened to see that Jesus had suffered and died to bear the full penalty for my sins. I found true joy and the meaning of life in Jesus, and I resolved to serve him for the rest of my life.

A short time later, I entered graduate school. When I tried to succeed by my own strength, however, I failed. I didn’t finish my thesis, and God’s ministry didn’t prosper as I had expected. I became frustrated and spiritually paralyzed by bitterness, hopelessness and fear. Some days it seemed that all I could do was to watch TV, sigh and take a nap. If I didn’t have to prepare the Sunday message every week, I probably would have lain on my paralytic’s mat for weeks, months or years. By God’s grace, I had to repent each week in order to receive the word of God for the Sunday message. Eventually, Jesus’ words penetrated my heart and restored my hope to be a fruitful servant of God. Praise Jesus for his wonderful, healing grace to this sinner! 

Some of us might feel helpless and useless, like a paralytic. We don’t, however, have to stay that way! Some of us might have done many selfish and shameful things like Matthew, but we don’t have to live like that anymore. Jesus has the authority to forgive all our sins and to enable us to live a new life. He gives hope to the hopeless, strength to the helpless and redemption to all kinds of sinners. No matter what we have done or failed to do, Jesus calls us and empowers us to do something great in his name. May God bless you to make a personal decision to leave behind your old life and start a new life following Jesus. May God bless you to grow in Jesus’ image and to be truly great.

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