Creekside Church, February 28, 2021
There is Grace in the Call
Jesus begins with a simple invitation: “Follow Me”. It’s the invitation into a journey that will challenge nearly everything we believe.
Locations & Times
Creekside Church
660 Conservation Dr, Waterloo, ON N2J 3Z4, Canada
Sunday 9:00 AM
Follow Me | There is Grace in the Call
Today we'll look at the calling of Matthew (also known as Levi) the tax collector. Matthew, Mark and Luke each write about this event with their own twist. Try reading all three and looking for the differences. Then ponder what each writer was trying to highlight.
Matthew 9:9-13
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.
10 While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples. 11 When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
12 On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 13 But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
Mark 2:13-17
13 Once again Jesus went out beside the lake. A large crowd came to him, and he began to teach them. 14 As he walked along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax collector’s booth. “Follow me,” Jesus told him, and Levi got up and followed him.
15 While Jesus was having dinner at Levi’s house, many tax collectors and sinners were eating with him and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. 16 When the teachers of the law who were Pharisees saw him eating with the sinners and tax collectors, they asked his disciples: “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
17 On hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
Luke 5:27-32
27 After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector by the name of Levi sitting at his tax booth. “Follow me,” Jesus said to him, 28 and Levi got up, left everything and followed him.
29 Then Levi held a great banquet for Jesus at his house, and a large crowd of tax collectors and others were eating with them. 30 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law who belonged to their sect complained to his disciples, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?”
31 Jesus answered them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 32 I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”
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Jesus' words, "Follow Me", are all grace. They are grace in motion. Matthew has done nothing to earn the invitation.
Jesus calling Matthew the tax collector was a shocking new paradigm for the Pharisees.
The call to "Follow Me" is ultimately a call to repentance. To change our thinking which will lead to a change in our behaviour.
------
What do you want?
Do you want a Jesus who is building a community based on grace? Or would you prefer a meritocracy?
Do you want a Jesus who calls you to change?
------
Spend some time meditating on Jesus calling you by name from the places in your life where you feel trapped. How is he present even in those places? What is he calling you to do?
Today we'll look at the calling of Matthew (also known as Levi) the tax collector. Matthew, Mark and Luke each write about this event with their own twist. Try reading all three and looking for the differences. Then ponder what each writer was trying to highlight.
Matthew 9:9-13
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.
10 While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples. 11 When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
12 On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 13 But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
Mark 2:13-17
13 Once again Jesus went out beside the lake. A large crowd came to him, and he began to teach them. 14 As he walked along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax collector’s booth. “Follow me,” Jesus told him, and Levi got up and followed him.
15 While Jesus was having dinner at Levi’s house, many tax collectors and sinners were eating with him and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. 16 When the teachers of the law who were Pharisees saw him eating with the sinners and tax collectors, they asked his disciples: “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
17 On hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
Luke 5:27-32
27 After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector by the name of Levi sitting at his tax booth. “Follow me,” Jesus said to him, 28 and Levi got up, left everything and followed him.
29 Then Levi held a great banquet for Jesus at his house, and a large crowd of tax collectors and others were eating with them. 30 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law who belonged to their sect complained to his disciples, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?”
31 Jesus answered them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 32 I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”
------
Jesus' words, "Follow Me", are all grace. They are grace in motion. Matthew has done nothing to earn the invitation.
Jesus calling Matthew the tax collector was a shocking new paradigm for the Pharisees.
The call to "Follow Me" is ultimately a call to repentance. To change our thinking which will lead to a change in our behaviour.
------
What do you want?
Do you want a Jesus who is building a community based on grace? Or would you prefer a meritocracy?
Do you want a Jesus who calls you to change?
------
Spend some time meditating on Jesus calling you by name from the places in your life where you feel trapped. How is he present even in those places? What is he calling you to do?