Jesus' Scandalous Mercy


“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. While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice (strict/ legalistic obedience to God's commands).’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”Matthew‬ ‭9:9-13‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Exceeding grace - not only forgiving sinners, but making disciples (transformational)

True gospel entails love

Scandal - something that leads to public unacceptance 


Background:
Tax collectors are deemed traitors of Jews, they are unscrupulous and worse of sinners, they partner with Gentiles and exploit financially on the Jews (similar to loan shark); the Jews disallow them to enter their synagogues [ they are "condemned" by Jews]

Jesus went to not only know them but get "Dirty". 
I accept you - including your imperfections

2 Groups of people:

Healthy vs Sick
Righteous vs sinners
Sacrifice vs mercy

  1. Sinners who often feel accused and unworthy 
    • Because we're mindful to our own accusations and limitations
    • Jesus said, His power is big enough to transform tax collectors > disciples 
    • Worst sinner 
      • Matthew: when called, he immediately got up 
      1. Hidden torment [weighed down by sins, dis-reconciliation with God] ==> ready for repentance 
      2. Jesus overrides stereotypes - to transform life, it lies in the hands of potter not the clay (man's effort, ability); we also need to battle with stereotypes about ourselves and others (Eg people will not look at me and appreciate me... I will be always this lousy..)
      3. Gospel has the power to transform dramatically 
        • Misunderstanding: we often overestimate godless joy and underestimate the appeal (reward) of gospel 
        • Give up what you "comfortably have" and consider it loss compare to the treasure in gospel, help from God 
      4. The transformed passes on grace 
        • There is always someone whom you can pass on this grace to. You needn't be a high flyer and eloquent speaker to pass on the grace of God 
      5. Both hope and challenges in this Mathew story
        • There is no sin too great that He cannot forgive 
        • Jesus' mission is founded on mercy not merit
        • Mercy is power. When a person tasted real mercy, he will be touched to follow Jesus and be His witness
  2. "Righteous" sinner
    • Jesus asked them to "Go and learn":
      1. They are sinners too 
        • Trivialise sin (also trivialise holiness)
        • Deluded views of themselves
        • Hence full gospel is needed, we need to preach the full and right word -> to expose these "assumptions > delusions of ourselves" 
        • Test of spiritual maturity: > aware of own sinfulness 
          • The more we know about the depth of this gospel, the more we know the holiness of God > the more we see the depth of sin in us, grateful to God, and more merciful to men
      2. Mercy is more pleasing to God than sacrifice (law)
        • Hosea 6:6; Mi 6:8; Mt 5:7 
        • Mercy is better obedience 
        • Maturity without grace is not holiness
        • Pharisees only point out the wrong, yet they do not help!
        • Essence of "table fellowship" = intimate with them and understand why they are the way they are

Misunderstanding we have - better sinners?
Mercy > merits