Title: I Want Mercy
Contents
Sunday Sermon_070610
Title: Matthew 9:9-13
Text: I want mercy
Example 1) “A dog that cannot walk”
If you had to describe how you feel while listening to this story in one word, what would you say? I came across the word ‘mercy’ here. The dictionary meaning of 'compassion' is 'to take care of with pity'. In other words, to have compassion on those who are in a miserable state is called mercy.
Today's topic is 'Mercy'. In the name of the Lord, I pray in the name of the Lord that the word 'compassion', which Jesus told us to learn, will follow me and your whole life and lead a blessed life.
In today's text, we see a scene where Jesus calls a man to be a disciple. The person's personal information appears in verse 9. His name was Matthew, and his occupation was a publican. In today’s terms, he was a ‘tax collector’. However, at that time, the profession of a publican should not be thought of as it is today.
At this time, the tax collector is closest to thinking of the ‘Japanese minions’ who exploited Koreans during the Japanese occupation. After Korea was liberated, people who committed robbery or adultery were not stoned to death, but many people who acted as Japanese minions were stoned to death, right? It could be said that the crime of a person who sucks the blood of his own people is the worst.
At that time, the job of a tax collector was like this. The Jews also treated them as more serious criminals than murderers or robbers, because tax collectors became agents of the Romans and exploited their own people. Everyone, in this environment, the job of a tax collector was not for everyone.
Everyone, during the Japanese colonial period in Korea, did anyone play the role of a minion in the Japanese occupation? A person who thought, 'It's better to die than to live like this, and it's better to close your eyes and live as a Japanese minion rather than dying', wouldn't it have been better to live as a Japanese minion?
It can be assumed that the daily life was a miserable person. He must have been full of thoughts that he would not be able to overcome the misery of life on his own. If you leave your conscience to the pawnshop, and a life in which you can live comfortably for the rest of your life opens up in front of you, what would you do?
You guys are no different these days. It wasn't just a job as a tax collector. How many people make money while hurting their people?
Example 2) I was watching the news yesterday, and I heard a story about selling a ‘Cruel Fairy Tale’ at the stationery in front of the elementary school. A cruel fairy tale is a cartoon that literally exposes the murderous and terrifying content of cruel content to children. The value is 500 won. Children are frightened and addicted, so they keep watching.
Everyone, it was said that the material of the human heart is ‘seeing and hearing’. What will fill their hearts when they see and hear these terrible things? The country is buzzing with imitation crimes by teenagers these days, right? When there are mass shootings in the military, it turns out that most of them were influenced by internet shooting games.
How many years ago was there a movie called ‘Gas Station Heist Incident’ screened? Have you ever heard of a copycat crime like that happened not long after the movie was shown and reported on the news? As such, the impact of seeing and hearing is fatal, especially for young people. By the way, shouldn't it be said that adults who make money by making 'Cruel Tales' for elementary school students are like today's tax collectors?
How can there be only one or two tax collectors who make money with the blood of their own people and their families? Wouldn't there be thousands or tens of thousands of people in our country who are spiritually ill and need treatment? Then, what should the church's position be in front of such people at the end of the day?
Although I am not confident, let me introduce Jesus' position and attitude as follows. In verse 9, Jesus sees Matthew, a tax collector who has such a profession, and calls him. And you say a word. “Follow me.” Everyone, would you like Matthew to follow Jesus here? Would you like to just voluntarily refuse and become the people of hell?
To be honest, wouldn't it be better if you didn't meet Jesus forever and end your life without repenting? Is it just me? I have a bit of a temper, but how about you?
Rather, if it were written in verse 10, ‘Matthew heard Jesus’ proposal, but because of his sin, he voluntarily rejected it and became a people of hell. However, at the end of verse 9 it is written like this: “Get up and follow him.” Matthew just left his seat and followed Jesus.
Now you have found a way to live. What I've done so far is to somehow get a living in one room. Does this end? In verse 10, after another drink, Jesus has a meal with these sinners. Matthew the tax collector and those who were usually close were invited to the table together.
The Bible records the situation at that time like this: At the end of verse 10, “many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Jesus and his disciples.” A large crowd also gathered. All who were branded as criminals in the town came and sat down to eat. People who killed people, people who committed adultery, people who cheated on their own people.
It's usually not embarrassing. How does Jesus deal with these people? Do you eat with these people? Those who keep the law cannot do this. Therefore, there is a group of people who have come out to argue for this irrational treatment. It was the ‘Phariseans, that is, the Pharisees’.
Pharisees are a group of people, meaning “one who sets apart.” These are people who live their lives by keeping the law, teaching and preserving it. In a word, they are experts in the law. They do not speak to Jesus openly, but indirectly ask his disciples.
Verse 11 says, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” In answer to this, Jesus gives a very famous saying. “Physicians are of no use to those who are healthy, but only to those who are sick.” This is a famous saying that is often spoken to even those who do not believe in Jesus today.
This means that the Pharisee's question was heard by Jesus like this. “How can a good doctor like Jesus be with such unclean people?” Guys, is it natural for doctors to be with the sick? Is it unfair? What kind of person is always next to a healthy person after getting a doctor's license? Is it not a person who is not doing his duty or an incompetent doctor?
Why did what was so natural to Jesus seemed unfair and unfair to the Pharisees? It was a difference of perspective. It was a difference of perspective. Does it appear a lot in your hymns? ‘You who raised a sinner like me, call me when sinners are called. Come here, you sinners, and come before the Lord Jesus, for you redeemed sinners by carrying the cross of the Lord, and so on.’
Ladies and gentlemen, we always sing this hymn, and even when we pray, we pray with the same confession. So, what kind of person is the ‘sinner’ talking about here? Are you subject to condemnation? Or is it the subject of treatment? The difference between the Pharisees and Jesus is here. This is because the attitude towards people comes from the point of view of people.
How did the Pharisees view sinners? I saw it as an object of condemnation. I was treated like this and saw it as an object that had to be played separately. They were separated from society and viewed as something that should not be approached. But Jesus had a different view of sinners.
Jesus' view of sinners was that of a 'poor sick man in need of healing'. Another passage speaks of sinners as “objects that are lost and must be found.” It comes from Jesus' parable. ‘The parable of the lost coin, the parable of the lost sheep, the parable of the lost prodigal son.’ This is Jesus’ view of the sinner.
Without a change of perspective on this person, a compassionate attitude like Jesus does not emerge. It's dead and can't even wake up. It is not something you can do with the will to ‘have pity on sinners’. This is possible only when our perspective changes like Jesus.
Example 3) A story of a female deacon who bought a fruit basket and went to visit the pastor.
That's right. It is difficult to love even your own wife without changing your perspective on sinners.
Dear brothers and sisters, now we are about to conclude the Word. He says that what God wants from us weak people is ‘mercy’. The sinner is the object of mercy, not the object of condemnation. Among us, there is only the object of mercy, but no object of condemnation. We must not forget that the realm of condemnation is always the realm of God the Three Judges.
The word 'mercy' that Jesus used in the Bible is 'eleios' in the original language, which refers to 'mercy, love, and grace based on an eternal and faithful covenant'. It's not a word based on our feelings, it's a word based on our covenant. It's not a mercy based on our perspective, but a word based on God's promise of salvation.
God tells us to learn to want mercy and not sacrifice. What is mercy and what is sacrifice? Sacrifice is an act based on ‘condemnation’. It is the only action that only God can do. However, mercy is an action based on the ‘promise to save’. These words are quoted by Jesus from Hosea 6:6, which was recorded in the Old Testament era when the sacrifice was held at that time.
Therefore, we should all treat each other with compassion. Condemnation does not apply to us. The moment we condemn each other, we alone will rise to the throne of God, the judge. However, we need to know that the mercy we are to show is not unconditional mercy.
The foundation of our compassion must be the ‘eternal covenant’. what kind of covenant? It is the covenant of eternal salvation. It must be compassion based on the promise of “only those who believe in Jesus will be saved” based on the words of John 3:16. It's not just that you have pity, it's that you have to treat people with pity for not believing in Jesus.
We should have pity on them from the perspective of being a lost child of God. This is the mercy that saves people. You must learn this compassion. More pitiful than simply not being able to eat and not wearing clothes is to be pitiful for not knowing God, not believing in Jesus, and going to eternal hell.
Only in this way will you find the answer of what I really need to do for that one person. What do I really need to work on right now for that poor person next to me? It is important to dress and feed for that person, but what is more important is for that person to return to God and live the blessed life of salvation, right? This is what a person who has learned to be compassionate should really do.
I bless you in the name of the Lord that you will become the blessed people of God who will live with this mercy for the rest of your life. Amen.