In studying this lesson, read also the parallel accounts in Mark 2:14-22 and Luke 5:27-39, for some particulars not mentioned by Matthew.
All the accounts tell us that the call of Matthew, or Levi, as he is called by Mark and Luke, took place immediately after the healing of the palsied man. But there is an omission in the account given by Matthew, as we learn from the other records, which is quite striking. Matthew simply tells what took place "as Jesus sat at meat in the house," (Matthew 9:10) without telling whose house, or anything about the meal.
Mark says that: "Jesus sat at meat in his house," (Mark 2:15) that is, in Matthew's house, and Luke says that: "Levi made Him a great feast in his own house." (Luke 5:29)
Matthew modestly omits all reference to what he did.
Matthew's Sacrifice
"And as Jesus passed forth from thence, he saw a man named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and He said unto him, Follow me, and he arose, and followed Him." (Matthew 9:9)
The office of publican, or tax-collector, was a lucrative one. The men who filled the office were despised and hated by the rest of the Jews, both because they oppressed the people, and because they would consent to collect taxes for the hated Romans. Publicans had to pay a certain sum into the Roman treasury, and then they would collect it, together with as much more as they could for their own profit, from the people. Of course the system naturally led to extortion and oppression.
This, however, would not make the publicans unpopular with Pharisees, who were guilty of the same sin; but their calling, and the fact they served the conquerors of the Jewish nation, made them despised by the "better classes" of the Jewish society.
Matthew was thus a man of business, yet when Jesus called him, "he arose, and followed Him." (Matthew 9:9)
Luke states more, which Matthew modestly omitted: "And he left all, rose up, and followed Him." (Luke 5:28)
How many businessmen in these days would follow Jesus if it involved giving up their business? It is much easier to read about it, and to take it as a matter of course that the early disciples should do so, than to do it ourselves. However, there are those even now, who are willing and even glad to suffer the loss of all things, that they may win Christ. "But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ." (Philippians 3:7-8)
We speak of Matthew's "sacrifice" an expression very commonly used to describe a case where one has suffered the loss of property for Christ's sake. It is not, however, strictly correct, nay, it is wholly incorrect in the sense in which it is ordinarily used.
If used in the original sense of something devoted to the Lord, and thus made sacred, or sacrificed, to Him, it is perfectly correct. But if it be used to indicate that one has done some great and worthy deed, with the implied thought that a great loss has been sustained, it is incorrect.
Christ has made the only sacrifice that is worthy to be called such. In order to accept this sacrifice, one must give up all, but it is simply giving up a poor thing for a good one. Christ does the giving, we do the taking. Whoever talks or thinks about how much he has given up for the Lord, has no just sense of "the unsearchable riches of Christ." (Ephesians 3:8)
A man in his senses would never complain or make a merit of having exchanged sawdust for gold dust.
The Fault Finders
"Many publicans and sinners came and sat down with Him and His disciples. And when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto His disciples, Why does your Master eat with publicans and sinners?" (Matthew 9:10-11)
Luke says that they murmured, or muttered. At an Eastern feast, anybody had the privilege of coming in and looking on, even though not an invited guest. An example of this freedom is seen in: "And one of the Pharisees desired Him that He would eat with him. And he went into the Pharisee's house, and sat down to meat. And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster box of ointment, And stood at His feet behind Him weeping, and began to wash His feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed His feet, and anointed them with the ointment. Now when the Pharisee which had bidden Him saw it, he spoke within himself, saying, This man, if He were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that touches Him: for she is a sinner. And Jesus answering said unto Him, Simon, I have somewhat to say unto you. And he said, Master, say on. There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty. And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most? Simon answered and said, I suppose that he, to whom he forgave most. And He said unto him, You have rightly judged. And He turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, See this woman? I entered into your house, You gave me no water for my feet: but she has washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head. You gave me no kiss: but this woman since the time I came in has not ceased to kiss my feet. My head with oil you did not anoint: but this woman has anointed my feet with ointment. Wherefore I say unto you, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little. And He said unto her, Your sins are forgiven. And they that sat at meat with Him began to say within themselves, Who is this that forgives sins also? And He said to the woman, Your faith has saved you; go in peace." (Luke 7:36-50)
That the Pharisees themselves were not present as participators in the feast, is shown by their murmuring against Christ, for eating with publicans and sinners. They would not have accepted an invitation to a publican's house, much less would they sit at the same table with those they called sinners; yet they were always present to carp at Jesus.
Their successors live today. They are present at the feast, but only to pick flaws, not to eat. They attend the meeting, but they are not fed by the discourse; they only point out something which their sharp eyes have discovered to be wrong. And so these poor, self-satisfied Pharisees starve to death on wind, while others are eating to the fill.
It is better to eat with publicans and sinners, than to stand to one side and find fault with the eaters. It is better to be among the humble followers of Christ, who acknowledge themselves to be sinners, and so have the truth abiding in them, than to hold aloof and criticize both the poor sinners and the Master who receives them. "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us." (1 John 1:8)
Seeking the Lost
"Why does your Master eat with publicans and sinners?" (Matthew 9:11)
On another occasion, when all the publicans and sinners drew near to hear Jesus, the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, "This man receives sinners, and eats with them." (Luke 15:2)
Yes; for not only does Christ receive sinners, but: "The Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost." (Luke 19:10)
One day I met a young man with a most dejected look, who with broken voice said, "I am lost." "I am glad to hear you say so," I replied.
His astonishment at such a reply was too great for words, but it was eloquently expressed in his face. "Yes," I continued, "I am glad to hear that you are lost, for you are just the one that the Lord is looking for; and since He is not far off, I am sure that He will find you."
This was a new view of the case, and it was not long before joy took the place of the young man's despondency.
Note that Jesus not only seeks, but He saves. "[He is] mighty to save." (Isaiah 63:1)
So that to "As many as receive Him, He gives power to become the sons of God." (John 1:12)
Jesus associates with sinners, and: "He is not ashamed to call them brethren," (Hebrews 2:11) for by His presence He saves them from their sins, and makes them indeed brethren, in that He makes them join theirs with himself.
Mark, in relating the circumstances connected with the call of Matthew, says that: "Many publicans and sinners sat also together with Jesus and His disciples; for there were many, and they followed Him." (Mark 2:15)
This is exactly the same word that is used by Matthew. He followed Jesus, and many other publicans and sinners also followed Him. So then they were sinners saved from sin. A sinner who follows Jesus is in a blessed condition.
New Wine in New Bottles
"No man puts a piece of new cloth unto an old garment, for that which is put in to fill it up takes from the garment, and the rent is made worse. Neither do men put new wine into old bottles: else the bottles break, and the wine runs out, and the bottles perish: but they put new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved." (Matthew 9:16-17)
The tendency is to rob Christ's teaching of its personal character, and to make it general. So this statement by Jesus, that new wine could not be put into old wine skins, nor new cloth into old garments, is made to refer to religion in general. Thus one says, "Time showed that the new, strong Christianity could not successfully patch up the holes in the worn-out religion of the Jews."
And again, "If the reformation introduced by the Baptist could retain the old form of Judaism, Christianity could not," forgetting or not knowing that John the Baptist was a Christian, and that his baptism was Christian baptism: "John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins." (Mark 1:4) "Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on Him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus." (Acts 19:4)
As to "the worn-out religion of the Jews," it was that which God had given them, but which they had rejected, and so Christ came, not to found a new religion, but to exalt "that which was from the beginning." (1 John 1:1)
Jesus was a Jew, and He said, "Salvation is of the Jews." (John 4:22)
All the teaching of Jesus was personal. The "new wine" of which He spoke was none other than that which the Lord through His prophet freely offered to all. "Ho, everyone that thirsts, come to the waters, and he that has no money; come, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price." (Isaiah 55:1)
The "old garments" are the "filthy rags" of man's own self-righteousness. "But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away." (Isaiah 64:6) Their webs shall not become garments, neither shall they cover themselves with their works: their works are works of iniquity, and the act of violence is in their hands." (Isaiah 59:6) Man's own works cannot become good garments, but Christ offers a complete new garment of salvation, a "robe of righteousness," (Isaiah 61:10) consisting of: "Fine linen clean and white." (Revelation 19:8) "I counsel you to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that you may be rich; and white raiment, that you may be clothed, and that the shame of your nakedness does not appear; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see." (Revelation 3:18) "After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; ... And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb." (Revelation 7:9,14)
He takes away "the filthy garments," and gives a complete "change of raiment." "And he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him. And the Lord said unto Satan, The Lord rebuke you, O Satan; even the Lord that has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you: is not this a brand plucked out of the fire? Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the angel. And he answered and spoke unto those that stood before him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused your iniquity to pass from you, and I will clothe you with change of raiment. And I said, Let them set a fair mitre upon his head. So they set a fair mitre upon his head, and clothed him with garments. And the angel of the Lord stood by." (Zechariah 3:1-5)
The work of Christ is not patch-work but new creation. The new wine of the Gospel, which was new in the days of Abraham, Moses, and Isaiah,--the old, old story that is always new,--cannot be carried in anything but new creatures. For, mark it, Christ receives sinners, in order that they may be witnesses for Him. These publicans and sinners, acknowledged themselves to be sinners, and were thus cleansed from all unrighteousness. "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9)
Then, filled with the Spirit, they could carry the good news of salvation to others. They became vessels to honor, "sanctified and meet for the Master's use." (2 Timothy 2:21)
The Pharisees, who persisted in saying that they had no sin, could not carry the light to others. Christ came to call sinners, not the righteous. The man who insists that he is righteous, has no part in Christ; and everybody who will follow his own way, instead of the commandment of the Lord, does thus insist that he is right and the Lord is wrong.
The lesson is a personal one for us all; we cannot patch Christ's life on to our old life of sin. Let Him make us over new, and then we can wear new clothing, be filled with the new wine, and sing a new song.--Present Truth, February 3, 1898--Notes on the International Sunday-School Lessons, February 13--Original title: The Call of Matthew--Timeline: IV-10 (Call of Levi Matthew), 28 (Matthew's Feast), 29 (The Question About Fasting)--Matthew 9:9-17. [Editor's note: The call of Matthew, and the feast that he made for Jesus are two separate events, although they appear together in the gospel records. The call occurred during the early Galilean ministry, after the healing of the paralytic who was lowered through the roof; the feast occurred during the Middle Galilean ministry, right after the storm on the lake, a number of months later. One commentary states: "The call of Matthew happened immediately after the cure of the paralytic" (Matthew 9:8). The feast in Matthew's house took place after the passage, to and fro, of the lake; for it is connected by very definite marks of time (Matthew 9:11,18) with the raising of Jairus' daughter and the healing of the woman in the crowd; and that these happened after Our Lord's visit to Gadara, plainly appears from Luke 8:40-41; Mark 5:21-22. "But the call and the feast, separated in time, were connected by a far more important link,--that of cause and effect." Therefore they are narrated together in all the three Gospels. Mark and Luke record the feast as if it followed close on the call (Mark 2:15; Luke 5:29); Matthew postpones the account of his call (and therefore of the cure of the paralytic), that he may not separate the feast from the events immediately following. "In all this there is no difficulty, except what is created by ascribing a false and unreasonable importance to the order of time in the Gospel narratives."--A Commentary on St. Matthew's Gospel, Eustace R. Conder, 1866]