Cracked Things – Matthew 9:9-13, 18-26

A text – Matthew 9:9-13, 18-26

⁹ As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax-collection station, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he got up and followed him.

¹⁰ And as he sat at dinner in the house, many tax collectors and sinners came and were sitting with Jesus and his disciples. ¹¹ When the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” ¹² But when he heard this, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. ¹³ Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous but sinners.”

¹⁸ While he was saying these things to them, suddenly a leader came in and knelt before him, saying, “My daughter has just died, but come and lay your hand on her, and she will live.” ¹⁹ And Jesus got up and followed him, with his disciples. ²⁰ Then suddenly a woman who had been suffering from a flow of blood for twelve years came up behind him and touched the fringe of his cloak, ²¹ for she was saying to herself, “If I only touch his cloak, I will be made well.” ²² Jesus turned, and seeing her he said, “Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well.” And the woman was made well from that moment. ²³ When Jesus came to the leader’s house and saw the flute players and the crowd making a commotion, ²⁴ he said, “Go away, for the girl is not dead but sleeping.” And they laughed at him. ²⁵ But when the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took her by the hand, and the girl got up. ²⁶ And the report of this spread through all of that district.

A reflection:

So why does the Lord love rogues and sinners with big hearts? Maybe because the Lord knows when we turn from all the distractions which hold us away from our relationship with God, we will have plenty of room to do so much better, at least temporarily until we get distracted again. Jesus chose Matthew to follow him, and Matthew did it. Once he left his lucrative business behind and came to know Jesus, he put his considerable talent to work for the Kingdom of God.

Cleophus J LaRue of Princeton Seminary wrote these words about the story of the calling of Matthew: “Tax-collectors were despised, considered no better than swindlers and murderers; they were believed to be guilty of flagrant moral offenses. Yet Jesus extends the call to Matthew the tax collector. It is not so much what Jesus sees in us that makes us worthy, but rather what he puts in us when we obey his command.”

And why does the Lord love people who believe in him for big big reasons? Maybe because the Lord knows that when we are cured of our conditions we will have a big big story to tell that will bring others into the Kingdom of God. Jesus heard the leader say that he believed Jesus could bring his daughter back from the dead, and Jesus felt the hemorrhaging woman touch his fringe in the full belief that she would be cured without almost even breaking the “unclean” laws.

So are you a rogue or sinner with a big heart? Or have you received special mercy from God that cemented your faith for a big big reason? Am I? Maybe we are not very bold. Or maybe we don’t ask for big enough miracles, being sure God will provide. But even our small and certain reasons for believing may be a strong enough witness to help someone else to get past her unbelief, or his reluctance to speak to Jesus. Whenever, however, wherever the Lord has entered your life and helped you to believe, share that story even just once and you will be helping someone you know to see that it’s ok to believe. The Holy Spirit uses our admission of brokenness to show others in despair that when we are lost on the wrong road, God can still find us. Our cracks make us more useful.

A prayer:

Lord God, Thank you for loving us. Thank you for allowing yourself to be broken for us. Help us to remember that you love cracked things and put them to use in your kingdom. Amen.