Faith is Risky Business (Matthew 9:9-13, 18-26)
Listen.June 8th, 2008
Rev. Dr. Craig A. Wagner
Introduction
When I was a young boy, I remember times when I would be sitting at home, perhaps doing homework, or daydreaming. All of a sudden out of nowhere I would hear one of my friends call my name and invite me to join the group in a baseball game, or simply to go outside and play in the prairie around our newly constructed subdivision, or even on the tremendously high dirt hills in the construction area. Once I heard the call of my friends, I would immediately leave my homework or other chores and run outside for a great adventure. No matter what else was happening, or what was on my agenda, the schedule cleared and I responded. Of course, if my homework wasn’t finished, or if I had other things to do at home, my action was risky if Mom caught me.
Today it’s different. Today I wait for my grandchildren or my son to call my name and ask me to play Wii. I drop everything and head to the TV. I’m great at bowling or tennis!
Both of the above examples are not very serious and do not have deep implications for my life. However, this morning we want to consider the call of Jesus in our lives and our response to his call. Faith in Jesus can be risky business as we look at our passage this morning and begin by considering the call of Matthew.
Matthew’s call
The text begins with Jesus walking through the city of Capernaum. As he walks, he notices a tax collector sitting in a tax booth collecting taxes. Jesus calls this tax collector to follow him and immediately this man called Matthew leaves the booth and goes with Jesus. There is both immediacy to his action and riskiness to leaving his position, but Matthew responds to Jesus calling him “to follow.”
Matthew (in the gospel of Mark we read about Levi) was a Jewish person employed by the Roman occupying forces to collect taxes from the Jewish people. In any one region there would be a chief tax collector with what could be defined as neighborhood tax collectors working in various locals around the city. These collectors bid for their jobs. They promised their bosses that they would collect a specified amount. These neighborhood collectors needed to collect a certain amount so that the chief collector would be paid and the Roman governing forces would receive their share. Under this system, referred to as ‘tax farming’ the local collectors were under great pressure to collect as much as they could. If the local collector could gain more than he needed, the excess would go into his pockets. So we find that in Jesus’ day collectors were not well thought of. They were seen to be cheaters, thieves and even traitors working for the Roman government. This was not a pleasant position, but it could be lucrative.
In spite of his position, Matthew leaves his tax booth and follows Jesus. Think about it: he left a lucrative business; he would surely incur the wrath of the chief collector who would have to find someone else, and perhaps even the wrath of the Romans for leaving his position. Certainly, he would not be employable elsewhere. It was risky for him to respond to Jesus’ call. Yet, there was power in that call and Matthew responded. He would join Jesus in a mission that was greater than Matthew could ever imagine. He took the risk!
Immediately following the call to Matthew, we find Jesus sitting at a dinner party surrounded by tax collectors and sinner. This, too, was risky business as they were seen by the Pharisees. Normally in Jesus’ time dinner parties were held in places that were open to the weather. Both the windows and doors were open so that the participants could enter end exit easily or they were outdoors. Others could easily see who was at the table.
The food one ate and the table companions served to define one’s group. Here Jesus is surrounded by disciples and some rather unsavory characters. In response to the Pharisees’ questions, Jesus plainly states that those who are healthy have no need of a physician, only those who are sick. In other words, he came for those who are sinful and who realize their need for forgiveness and wholeness.
After an interlude with Jesus answering questions from John’s disciples, we find two other characters who indeed take a risk in coming to Jesus for help. The first is the leader of the synagogue who came and knelt before Jesus who pleads for his daughter who has died. Knowing of Jesus’ power, he begs for his daughter to be made alive. It’s interesting that in our English scripture we read about a leader of the synagogue, but in the Greek manuscripts we simply read that this man was a leader, perhaps community leader. In either respect, the man risks reputation and stature in coming to Jesus.
In between the leader coming to Jesus and his raising of the daughter, a woman who had been hemorrhaging for twelve years takes the risky step of reaching out and touching the tassels of Jesus’ robe. This is a better word than fringe because it reminds us of Deuteronomy 22.12 where we read that pious Jews wore tassels on their robes. This woman who lived in a continual state of uncleanness risked everything to touch his cloths. She too was healed; cured. Faith is risky business!
Risky business
Initially upon reading this passage, I began to think about whether we have determined Jesus’ call in our lives? Have you? Matthew heard the call and immediately followed the Lord. The leader of the synagogue and the hemorrhaging woman took the risk and threw aside anything that would keep them from Jesus. Have you? Have you asked yourself the questions, “Have I heard the call of Jesus to follow him? Where is the Spirit leading me in my life of faith? Perhaps many of us have not asked these questions of ourselves because we are afraid of the answer! Perhaps we are afraid that if we ask the questions that Jesus would want us to make a deeper commitment and to actually do something for the sake of the mission of Christ’s church? Remember Dietrich Bonhoeffer was the one who said, “When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die.”
Many of us like our faith to be a calming influence in our lives. We want the church to meet our needs and comfort us when we are hurting. Then we think everything is fine and that God loves us. We really don’t want to upset the apple cart. Yet our faith in Christ is much much more than simply a nice Sunday worship service. Our faith in Christ is risky because Jesus calls us into lives of discipleship. He calls us, as he did Matthew, to lives that are lived doing his will. Christianity is not about us, it is about our Lord! Are we following him? Have we listened to his call?
Baseball season is in full swing! Perhaps we can use a baseball game as an analogy this morning. Many of us enjoy going to a ball game. We love sitting in the stands eating our hot dogs, peanuts and Cracker Jack. We get wrapped up in the action on the field and we tend to live vicariously through our favorite players.
In terms of our faith and discipleship, Jesus calls us from the stands and puts us into the game. The Holy Spirit has blessed us with the gifts, talents and abilities that we need to play our position. God is in the stands rooting for us and Jesus is the coach/manager in the dugout pulling us out of the game for rest and renewal and putting us back in to play our position. The team we are playing against? It is the team of the evil one; those who are against God; those who are anti God; those who want the evil one to win. We know what the outcome is, but we struggle to play a good game confident that our Lord will be victorious. How are we playing? As with any human analogy it falls short, but it does help us to think about our own involvement, our own participation in the game.
Responding to Jesus can be risky. We may have to rearrange our schedule, reprioritize our free time, devote more of our budget to the church; perhaps even give up some friendships along the way. When Christ calls us, I pray we respond according to his wishes, not ours. And where we are selfish and self-centered in our lives I pray for forgiveness and a turning around, a reawakening to the call of Jesus even if it is risky.
Respond and experience the fullness of faith
Although risky, once Matthew responded positively; once the leader of the synagogue came to Jesus and once the woman touched the tassels, they all experienced fullness of life; abundant life. They would experience God’s love and a renewed life. God’s love and grace through Jesus would have been felt. But once Jesus enters a person’s life, things change. People experiencing Christ experience joy and abundant living, but also a commitment to live as Christ wants.
There is an obedience that is a part of discipleship. This obedience is reflected in the manner in which people live. As we heed the call to follow Jesus the grace and love that God has for his people – in all aspects of life is a real presence. God’s love in Christ is with his people throughout the difficult parts of life, the struggles, the hurts, even death itself. This is a promise we have in Jesus.
The grace of God sustains us as we hear the call to follow the Lord and as we take that risky leap of faith to live as his people today. God’s love is ours by grace we are given wonderful gifts and now God calls us into the game. Take your position!
Conclusion
A group of parents were at a conference on parenting. The discussion centered on making sure that your child got in with the right, good group of kids. Because everyone knows that if a good child is around a bad child, the bad habits rub off. One parents asked, “Why? Why doesn’t the good influence the bad? Jesus ate with sinners and tax collectors, the love of God rubbed off. We are sinful and selfish people, yet God’s loving presence forgives us, and calls us deeper and deeper into lives that truly follow Jesus. Faith can be risky, but Christ will be with us. Amen.