Leaving the Booth Behind

In Nomine Iesu
St. Matthew 9:9-13

June 8, 2008
Pentecost 4A-Proper 5

Jesus . . . saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth. “Follow me,” he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him.

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus~

As a pastor, I see people at their best . . . and I see people at their worst. On Sunday mornings, I see people at their best—nicely dressed, hair brushed, make up on, smiling, respectable. As a pastor, I have a front row seat to watch beautiful brides walk down the aisle and to see the tiniest, cutest babies washed clean and born again in the waters of Holy Baptism. As a pastor, I see people at their best—confessing the faith, kneeling for Communion, making the sign of the cross.

As a pastor, I also see people at their worst—tearful people, cancer ravaged, people in such excruciating pain that it causes them to vomit. I also see people whose pain is emotional—broken people, hard-hearted, unrepentant people, people so filled with pride that they look down on me with contempt, and people so filled with shame that they can’t even make eye contact with me. I see people at their best and I see people at their worst.

As a general rule, people prefer to be seen at their best—when they look respectable, when their actions are honorable, when their words are thoughtful and articulate. I suspect this was also true for Matthew the tax collector. I suspect that Matthew was more than a little uncomfortable when Jesus came calling. For Jesus didn’t come calling when Matthew was at his best—when Matthew was at home where he could put on the appearance of a respectable, honorable life. Jesus didn’t give Matthew the opportunity to clean up his act and distance himself from his dishonorable work as a tax collector. In fact, Jesus came calling at the very place—the exact spot—the precise location—where Matthew was at his worst. Jesus came calling at the tax collector’s booth.

Tax collectors, in those days, were considered the worst of the worst. They were notoriously dishonest and greedy; and there’s no reason to suspect that Matthew was any different. As a general rule, the salary of tax collectors was based upon the amount of tax they collected; so, of course, they always collected as much as they possibly could. Bribery, extortion, and money-laundering were all part and parcel of the tax collector’s trade. Corruption, dishonesty, and the love of money were the roots of all evil that permeated the life of most tax collectors. The Jews considered tax collectors to be unclean. And they were often forbidden even to enter the synagogue for worship. Tax collectors were not church-going folks, but despised outcasts—the worst of the worst.

Jesus, it seems, made a point to call Matthew while he was at his worst—while he was at the tax booth—while he was at the very place where his sin of greed and his love of money were on public display. Calling Matthew then and there, Jesus left no chance for Matthew to curb the corruption, or make a big donation to the United Way. There was no time to diminish the dishonesty or to distance himself from that which brought Matthew into disrepute. There was no chance for Matthew to clean up his act and make something respectable of himself before Jesus called him. No, all of a sudden, the Savior was there, seeing Matthew at his worst, and saying, “Follow me.” (You can get a sense for the scene on the cover of today’s bulletin—the Savior’s finger pointed at Matthew, and Matthew’s finger pointed at himself, dumbfounded in disbelief.)

Jesus invited Matthew to leave the tax booth behind—to walk away from the greed and corruption that seemed to have a stranglehold on him. There is, of course, something completely distinctive about the call of Matthew. He was called directly by Jesus Himself—called to be one of the Twelve Apostles. But there’s also something here for all of us. For we also have been called to follow Jesus in faith and discipleship.

We also have been called by Jesus to leave the booth behind—to walk away from whatever it is that hinders our faith and holds back our discipleship. Matthew’s place of sin and shame was the tax collector’s booth. And that’s the very place where Jesus came to call him. What is the place of your sin and shame? In what area of your life is Jesus calling you move on, and follow Him, and leave the sin behind you? At what time and place in your life would you be most shamed and shocked to have the Savior show up, pointing His finger at you, and saying, “Leave it all behind, and follow me?”

What part of your life is the Savior calling you to leave behind today? Perhaps for some of us, like Matthew, it’s the love of money and the security of money. If Jesus came calling today, would you gladly and willingly open your checkbook to show your stewardship of the treasure He has given you? Or would you like a little time to clean up your act beforehand? Perhaps for others of us there are sins of addiction from which the Savior is calling us. Alcohol, drugs, pornography, gambling—there’s an endless list of possibilities—all of them idols to which we willingly sacrifice everything. What is the Savior calling you to leave behind? Perhaps it’s the anger that erupts so often, or the gossip you can’t get enough of, or the loveless way you treat your parents. Whenever and wherever you would least like to have the Savior show up—then and there is where Jesus is calling you to leave the booth behind—to sever the sin and follow Him.

And if there’s anyone here today who doesn’t think that Jesus is calling them to make any changes in their life—well, that kind of puts you in the same camp as the Pharisees. The Pharisees thought they were clean and respectable and honorable—thought they had no need to leave anything behind. They were pure and pious—models of spiritual health. But Jesus reminded them, “It’s not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.” It is to people sick with sin that Jesus comes calling. It is to dying sinners in a dying world that Jesus comes calling with forgiveness, life and salvation.

Beloved in the Lord, whatever your sin—whatever part of your life Jesus is calling you to leave behind this day—know that this can only happen on Jesus’ terms and by His power. When Jesus called Matthew to leave the tax booth behind and follow him, we hear nothing about any deliberation or decision-making on Matthew’s part. Sinful Matthew didn’t decide to follow Jesus. He couldn’t! If Matthew wanted us to think that there was some great virtue in him that led him to devote his life to Christ, he could have written that down for us right here in the pages of his gospel. But He didn’t. What he did record for us was the one thing that made everything possible: the all-powerful Word of the Lord: “Follow me.” Brothers and sisters, with those same powerful words Jesus is inviting you, today, to leave your sin behind and follow Him.

The truth of the matter is this: Matthew couldn’t clean up his act for Jesus if he wanted to. You and I can’t clean up our acts either. Only the one who says, “Follow me,” only He can clean us up and make us worthy to be called His disciples. Whether our sins are like Matthew’s sins—or whether our sins are like those of the proud and pious Pharisees—we believe and confess that Jesus was delivered over to death for those very sins, and was raised to life for our justification. Jesus Christ came to call sinners—“Jesus Sinners Doth Receive”—tax collectors, prostitutes, people just like you and me.

The good news of this day is that Jesus has come calling here today. Jesus still comes to call sinners. To all who answer to that name, Jesus offers His mercy and steadfast love. To all who see and confess just how sick they really are, Jesus gives divine healing and perfect forgiveness. Those are the gifts Jesus won for you on the cross. There at the cross it was Jesus who needed a physician. At the cross our sins took a sickening toll on His bruised and bloody body. At the cross Jesus was denied all mercy, and all compassion. Instead, the justice and judgment of a righteous and holy God was unleashed upon His thorn-crowned flesh.

But the one who became sick unto death with our sin now has the cure. Through faith in Him, even sinners like us are counted as righteous. In the miracle of your baptism Jesus has cleaned up your act and given you the gracious invitation: “Follow me.” Here in this place Jesus shares a meal with you, just as He did at Matthew’s house. Only here today Jesus provides the main entrée—His own body and blood for the forgiveness of sins. Here today is power—the power of Jesus for you—to hear His call and leave your sin behind. Still today, Jesus eats and drinks with tax collectors and sinners. And because of that, when Jesus looks at you today, Jesus sees you at your best, forgiven by Him, with faith in Him.

I told you earlier that as a pastor I get to see people at their worst and at their best. When I saw you confess your sins earlier today, I saw you at your best. When I see you receiving the body and blood of Jesus at this altar, I see you at your best. And when I see you in heaven, gathered around the throne of God, I will see you at your best for all eternity—not because I got you there by my words, but because of the words Jesus says to you: “Follow me.” Amen.