By Tim Harlow
Imagine the party when the tax collector got some friends together to meet Jesus.
Matthew was a tax collector. The Jews hated tax collectors because they were usually swindlers and “sellouts” who worked for the Romans. You couldn”t get any lower than a tax collector. They even had their own category: there were “sinners,” and there were “tax collectors.”
Jesus and the disciples came upon Matthew one day and Jesus said, “Why don”t you quit your job and follow me?” Matthew said “yes,” and the next thing you know Jesus was at a party at Matthew”s house. There is no detail in Scripture””Matthew 9:9-13″”but I”m guessing it went something like this: “Jesus, I”ll follow you. I hate my life. Where are we going?”
To which Jesus says, “I”m hungry.”
Matthew responds, “You can come to my house, and hey, can I invite my friends? We”ll have a party!” And Jesus accepts.
So whom does Matthew know? Whom would he invite to the party? MORE SINNERS!
Can you imagine the scene? Put it in modern-day context. I want you to get a true picture of where Jesus was.
I can only imagine Matthew running back and forth from the kitchen, making sure everyone is being looked after as he listens to the conversations taking place around the table and out in the hot tub. He restocks the beer cooler. NON”“Christian music is playing on the stereo. You know “Naughty Matt” has a slick stereo with a kickin” subwoofer. But he hasn”t heard of Mercy Me yet. He doesn”t even know there are Christian radio stations.
“Many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples” (Matthew 9:10). That”s the Bible”s way of saying, Jesus is at a naughty people”s party!
“And when the Pharisees saw this, they asked the disciples, “˜Why is your teacher at the naughty people party?”” (Matthew 9:11, author paraphrase).
It”s a valid question.
Why would Jesus publicly associate with sinners before they made any changes in their lives? It doesn”t feel right. This obviously isn”t the first time either. Jesus” reputation is, “Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners” (Luke 7:34). Doesn”t that make you uncomfortable?
My “Naughty Matt”
I have a “Naughty Matt” in my life. He”s a guy who is in a sinful lifestyle right now. OK, he”s always been in a sinful lifestyle. He”s literally a former Hells Angels biker. If you saw him on the street you would call him “Sir” or avoid him altogether. He”s bad to the bone.
We became friends at the health club and now we work out together. He uses loud, bad language, and not only gawks at, but also comments on every woman in the place. Yesterday he decided to work out with me in a horrendously inappropriate T-shirt from a strip club. I tried to get him to turn it inside out, but to no avail.
Most of the people at Body-Tech know who I am””half of them go to my church””and here I am with Naughty Matt in his offensive T-shirt.
Do you know how I felt? Like Jesus.
OK, not at first. I have to admit I felt a little embarrassed, and a little concerned for my reputation””until I thought of Matthew”s party.
Jesus responded to the religious leaders who were not comfortable around sinners by saying, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.” Then he insulted them, saying “But go and learn what this means.” (My paraphrase: “You are ignorant, go figure this out.”) Then he quoted a prophecy they knew very well, “I desire mercy, not sacrifice,” and he delivered the clincher, “For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners” (Matthew 9:13).
Looking Like Jesus
The ramifications of this for ministry are extreme. I don”t know about you, but until I started working out with Naughty Matt, I didn”t have a lot of “sick” people in my life. I work for a church. I”m with staff and elders and Christians most of the time. That”s my job. I”m more comfortable being surrounded by redeemed sinners who know how to dress appropriately at the health club. Sure, the church is supposed to be light in darkness, but not that dark. Whenever I teach from the Great Commission, it”s always about you people going into all the world to make disciples. I can”t go. I have to stay here and train you to do it.
Or not. If I”m supposed to be a disciple of Jesus, I should look like him, right? Sure, it”s uncomfortable. I bet I have more expletive-laden text messages on my phone than the average sailor. People are going to talk when they see me with the gearhead in the nasty shirt.
That”s probably a good sign that I”m looking more like Jesus
One more thing. Naughty Matt has started coming to our church. Would he be welcome at yours? You see, when Jesus asked Matthew to follow him, it meant Matthew would be following WITH the other disciples. I”m guessing the other disciples were shocked. They maybe thought Jesus would say, “repent sinner,” but not, “follow me.”
I don”t think that the disciples were any happier about having a tax collector in their small group than most modern-day churchgoers would be. We want to have a Bible study and feel good about our own spiritual development, not hang out with someone whose life is a mess. Messy people are dangerous; messy people take a lot of work.
But WWJD?
I should get a bracelet.
Tim Harlow serves as senior pastor at Parkview Christian Church, Orland Park, Illinois.
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