Matthew’s call from Jesus
Key Verses: 3, 5, 10, 13, 16, 22, 29, 36
Some things are just not within the realm of humanity’s authority. I don’t have the right to offer you forgiveness for a sin committed against someone else. I can forgive a person who sins against me, but not the sins against a third party. Jesus declares forgiveness on behalf of numerous third parties, something that the theologians of His day said only God had the right to do. So they accused Jesus of making this false claim.
But Jesus goes and proves He has the authority to forgive sins. He does something visible that they thought was impossible in order to prove that He had the authority to do the invisible, that they also thought was impossible for Him. Jesus says “which is easier.” Anyone can talk about forgiveness, and even offer it. But how do you know if it has really happened? Jesus put His money where His mouth was. He brought physical healing which they could all see, and none could deny. We don’t know the extent of this man’s paralysis, but we do know that it looked impossible from a human perspective. The crowd saw something that impressed them. They saw something!
Jesus again unsettles the religious sentiments of His day. He goes to eat at house of one of the most hated professionals of His day: a tax collector! Not much has changed over the years, has it! Jesus calls for mercy, a key component of God’s character. Jesus wants us to live a very different type of life. He says that the old ways of living just won’t fit with this new relationship with God that He is inaugurating. The new life will burst all the old rituals. The old ways of living out faith are just too small to contain the fullness of life Jesus is bringing.
Matthew shows this blow out power that Jesus brings by relaying the stories of healing that follow. He does the impossible, the religiously unacceptable. And the more He does this, the more people flock to hear Him and see what He does. They were turning to Him as their leader. He said and did things no one else could do. He was worth following. Jesus saw their helpless state and met them at the point of their need. He spoke Truth to them in a way they could hear it, and in a way that met their greatest need.
The Arnold Journey 