St. Matthew, 2008
19th Sunday after Pentecost, 2008
Rev. Brian L. Kachelmeier
St. Matthew 9:9-13
In the name of Jesus. Amen.
Today we celebrate the gift of St. Matthew. It is the Lord who gives gifts. He gifts His Church with pastors and teachers in our day and has given the church apostles and prophets in the days of our forefathers. As the Old Testament Prophets declared the wonderful news of the coming Messiah, the New Testament Apostles preached the wonderful news of the Christ who has come in flesh. Matthew is one of these apostles. He is also an evangelist, and disciple, and a saint.
As an Apostle, he is one of the original twelve who directly was taught by Jesus. He saw the miracles of the Lord. He heard the words of Jesus with his own ears. He beheld the resurrected Christ. He was sent out to all nations to make disciples by baptizing and teaching. He went to those who had not seen the resurrected Christ and he went to those who did not recognize Jesus as the Messiah.
As an Evangelist, he wrote a book of the Bible by divine inspiration. The word “evangelist” is derived from the Greek word for Gospel. The Greek word is “euaggelion” Thus, an “evangelist” is one who preaches the “euaggelion.” That is why we as Lutherans want to be known as evangelical, because the “euaggelion” is at the center of what we teach, believe, and confess. Matthew’s preaching of the “euaggelion” is recording in the first book of the New Testament commonly referred to as “The Gospel According to St. Matthew.” Through his words, the good news of the holy incarnation, life, suffering, death, resurrection, and ascension is revealed to us. Without the good news of the gospel, all we would have is the bad news of the law which demands perfection and damns imperfection.
As an apostle and evangelist, Matthew was given some very unique stations in life to serve others. With his eyes he beheld the living Word, with his mouth he preached the living Word, and with his hands he wrote the living Word for subsequent generations. Matthew’s place in the history of salvation marks his distinction from us. The Lord has not called us to be apostles who were eyewitnesses of the resurrection or evangelists to write our own version of the gospel. As Paul says, “Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers?” The answer is no.
Yet, in Christ, we have all been called by the gospel to be disciples and saints. Likewise, the Lord has called us and put us into our own unique vocations where we can serve our neighbor with the love of Christ. In these callings, we live out our faith in Christ for the benefit of others. The Lord calls us through His word inviting us to be his disciples and follow Him. Yet, we are not to leave our vocations behind like Matthew did. Again, he was a tax collector and then he became a disciple in training to be an apostle. In order to be a Christian, we do not need to leave our day job. It is in our day jobs and other places in life that we love as the Lord has loved us.
As a disciple, Matthew was a student of the words of Jesus. He listened and learned the teaching of the Lord. Matthew has the designation of being one of the first disciples of Jesus as recorded in the calling of Matthew from the tax collecting table. He was gladly sitting and listening to the sound of the coins clinking on the table. Then there was a change. It is the word of the Lord that makes the change. The Lord speaks His word to Matthew saying, “Come, and follow me.” At that point, Matthew begins to gladly hear and learn the word of Christ.
Likewise, in our own lives, it is the word of the Lord that makes the change. By nature, we are disciples of the devil. We listen to his false voice and reject the word of God. In fact, our wicked sinful heart is so depraved that it despises the word of God. To it the Word tastes like bitter medicine that we would prefer to do with out. Yet, it is the word of God itself that brings upon a change in us internally. Now, we prefer it. Now, we desire it. Now, we know that it is good and gives life. Through baptism and the teaching of the Apostles we are made into disciples of Christ.
Just think about your own taste buds that drive your own desires and likes. I personally do not like the taste of liver. I can’t make myself like the taste. I can’t stand it. Yes, it is true that I could eat it. I can force myself to eat it, but I cannot force myself to like it. On the outside appearance, if you see me eating it all the time, you would assume that I like it. The more I eat, the more I must like it. However, only I know that I don’t like it. It is the same with faith. You cannot choose to believe. Instead, it is God who changes you from an unbeliever to a believer through the power of the gospel. It is the word of God that bestows faith and changes your appetite. It instills in you a desire for the Word. The new man in you desires to gladly hear and learn the word of Christ.
Not only does the word of Christ transfer you from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light, it also makes you holy. To be holy in God’s sight is to be a saint. We are not made holy by doing holy things. Rather, because the word of God declares us holy in Christ, we do holy things. His holiness is imputed to be our holiness. All baptized believers are saints. Thus, St. Paul often begins his letters by addressing the saints at a certain location.
As a fellow believer in Christ, Matthew is a saint. In the conversion of St. Matthew, we get a picture of his transformation into sainthood. As a tax collector tied to the Gentiles, Matthew, even though he was a Jew was not in communion with the liturgical life of the believers. Keep in mind that it is in the Gospel According to St. Matthew that the words of Jesus are given to us in which Jesus says that if an unrepentant sinner does not listen to the church, then we are to treat him as a Gentile and Tax Collector. In other words, they have been removed from fellowship of the believers. They are to be excommunicated.
It is not through Matthew’s efforts that he gains the right to be in communion with Jesus, but rather through the efforts of Jesus. It is Jesus who comes to him and joins into communion with him. Jesus engages in table fellowship with Matthew and his fellow tax collectors. This action of Jesus ruffled some feathers among the Jewish leaders. They asked, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” They knew that Matthew’s life style placed him outside of communion with them. Therefore, how could Jesus allow Matthew to try and place himself in communion with Jesus? In their eyes, it would appear that Jesus is making Himself unholy.
It is riveting to hear the response of Jesus. He told them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.” How profound? Those people who are healthy do not go to a doctor and ask for a cure. It is the sick who go to the doctor seeking relief. The Pharisees saw the sin in the life of Matthew, but did not see their own sin. They have no need for Jesus. All they can see is the sin of Matthew on Jesus. They are righteous in their own sight. But, Jesus did not come to call the righteous. He came to call sinners. It is Matthew and his fellow tax collectors who are the sinners in God’s sight and through the illuminating power of the word of God, in their own sight. They understand that they are sick and in need of medical attention.
For this reason, we gather this day around this table. We are sick and we need the healing that only the Great Physician of both body and soul can provide. We are sinners who have been called by the word of Christ. We are ill and we are dying from sin. Through the gospel promise we know that in this Sacrament we have the medicine for immortality. Thus, we gather to partake of the Holy Communion, in which we have been declared holy through the power of the blood. We are holy because He is holy. We have been called to be saints in Christ.
Through believing the teaching of the Apostles we are brought into communion with them. If we have communion with them, we have communion with Christ. If we have communion with Christ, we have communion with the Father. Now this is wonderful news.
Thanks be to God for the gift of St. Matthew through whom we have heard the wonderful news. Matthew is an apostle, because he was sent by Jesus to make disciples by baptizing and teaching. Matthew is an evangelist, because he writes in order to reveal Jesus. Matthew is a disciple, because he was a student of Jesus. Matthew is a saint, because he is made holy by Jesus. We rejoice in the gift of Matthew this day, because he has been given to the church by Jesus. Amen.
