Chapter 24
DISCOURSE IN MATTHEW'S HOUSE
Part I - Mercy Not Sacrifice
(Matthew 9:9-13)
Before we begin our study of Jesus' discourse in the house of Matthew, let us pray,
Dear Heavenly Father,
We come before You in the Name of Your only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. Holy Father please open our ears, our eyes and our hearts so we can truly hear, and see and receive the things that You have written. Cause us Lord to truly repent from our own way of thinking and cause us to follow You and Your ways.
Amen
INTRODUCTION
We begin our study by reading about the time when Jesus called Matthew to be His disciple and then went to his house for dinner. We will take our reading from,
Matthew 9:9-13
"[9] As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector's booth. "Follow me," he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him. [10] While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew's house, many tax collectors and "sinners" came and ate with him and his disciples. [11] When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and 'sinners'?" [12] On hearing this, Jesus said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. [13] But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.""
In verse 13 we find two major issues that Jesus raised to the Pharisees and now to us. Thus, our study of His discourse in the house of Matthew is divided into the following two parts,
With this in mind this chapter is devoted to a Biblical study of exploring what Jesus meant when He said that He desires mercy not sacrifice.
To do this we will,With the above in mind let us begin with,
THE OLD TESTAMENT DAYS
In reading the Bible one discovers that this whole issue of our offering sacrifices rather than doing God's will is not new. In fact we find it throughout the whole Old Testament. For example, just before Nebuchadnezzar's army came to take the people of Israel captive to Babylon, God sent Jeremiah to tell them why He sent the Babylonian army to do this. For this study let us read the following portion of Jeremiah's discourse.
Jeremiah 7:21-28
""'[21] This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Go ahead, add your burnt offerings to your other sacrifices and eat the meat yourselves! [22] For when I brought your forefathers out of Egypt and spoke to them, I did not just give them commands about burnt offerings and sacrifices, [23] but I gave them this command: Obey me, and I will be your God and you will be my people. Walk in all the ways I command you, that it may go well with you. [24] But they did not listen or pay attention; instead, they followed the stubborn inclinations of their evil hearts. They went backward and not forward. [25] From the time your forefathers left Egypt until now, day after day, again and again I sent you my servants the prophets. [26] But they did not listen to me or pay attention. They were stiff-necked and did more evil than their forefathers.' [27] "When you tell them all this, they will not listen to you; when you call to them, they will not answer. [28] Therefore say to them, 'This is the nation that has not obeyed the LORD its God or responded to correction. Truth has perished; it has vanished from their lips."
Let us notice the following verses,
21 … God told the people that if you think all your offerings and sacrifices will keep Me from sending the Babylonian army to destroy your cities and take you captive then add the burnt offering, which represents total dedication to Him, to your sacrifices. God told them to do this in a sarcastic manner. The reason we know this is that earlier God told them that their whole burnt offerings were no longer acceptable to Him. To see this let us read from,
Jeremiah 6:20(b)
"[20] … Your burnt offerings are not acceptable; your sacrifices do not please me.""
Now the next set of verses in Jeremiah 7 we discover one of the reasons why Israel's sacrifices were no longer acceptable to God. Hence let us now explore verses,
22 … When through Moses, God initially set the nation of Israel free from their bondage to Egypt, He did not command them to offer Him sacrifices. We must remember that the sacrificial system was not given to Israel till after about three months into their journey to the promised land. This system of sacrifices was given on Mount Sinai after they continued to complain and murmur against God for the sparse provisions they had for their travels in the wilderness. As we read the New Testament, we come to realize that the laws given on Mount Sinai were intended to expose to them and us our sinful ways. To see this let us read from,
Romans 3:20
"[20] … no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin."
23 … God did command the Israelites to obey Him and live their lives in the manner He taught them.
24-25 … However, even though God sent many prophets to speak to them about following Him and His ways, the nation of Israel did not do it. Instead, the people followed their own counsels. In other words, they lived and behaved in a manner they wanted to and not in accordance with God's ways.
26 … Unfortunately, God also knew that the nation of Israel's disobedience to Him had gone so far that they would not listen to or obey what Jeremiah told them.
What exactly was the problem? After all the people did regularly attend the Temple services, observed the requires feasts and offered the prescribed sacrifices. Why was God so angry and why did He say that they were not following Him or His ways? Perhaps the answer to these questions is best summarized by the prophet Micah in,
Micah 6:8
"[8] He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God."
In other words, even though the nation of Israel was attending the Temple services, offering sacrifices and observing the Feast Days, they were not doing what God wanted them to do in their every day life.
Now when Jesus came to this earth, He emphasized that the problem of not following or obeying God's ways is much greater than what meets the eye. To see this let us now examine,
THE ROOT CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM
As we study the teachings of our Lord and Savior we find that part of the problem is that we tend to follow and obey,
RELIGIOUS RULES/TRADITIONS INSTEAD OF GOD'S COMMANDS
To illustrate this point let us read about the time when the religious leaders chastised Jesus for allowing His disciples to transgress the tradition of washing their hands before they ate. To do this let us read from,
Matthew 15:1-9
"[1] Then some Pharisees and teachers of the law came to Jesus from Jerusalem and asked, [2] "Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They don't wash their hands before they eat!" [3] Jesus replied, "And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition? [4] For God said, 'Honor your father and mother' and 'Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.' [5] But you say that if a man says to his father or mother, 'Whatever help you might otherwise have received from me is a gift devoted to God,' [6] he is not to 'honor his father ' with it. Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition. [7] You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you: [8] "'These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. [9] They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.'""
Let us notice the following verses,
3 … Jesus responded to the elders chastisement by asking them why do they transgress God's commandments for the sake of their traditions?
4-6 … In these verses Jesus revealed to the Jewish leaders how, for the sake of their traditions, they violated and nullified God's commandments. For this particular incident Jesus was teaching them and now us that it is more important for us to have mercy, that is care and provide for the well being of our own mother and father, than to give money to the ministry. In other words, when our offering to the ministry consumes the money that was needed to support and provide for the needs of our mother and father, then we are not following God's command to honor our father and mother. As we further study the New Testament we find that God's desire for us to care and provide support for our father and mother actually encompasses all members of our family. To see this let us read the following excerpt from Paul's first letter to Timothy,
1 Timothy 5:8
"[8] If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever."
Let us now return to Matthew chapter 15 and notice verses,
7-9 … In other words, Jesus told these people that even though they appear to love and serve God, in reality they don't. Instead of teaching and following the doctrines and desires of God, they were teaching and following the commandments and tradition of men.
In other words, Jesus was teaching the leadership that they had a,
FALSE UNDERSTANDING OF GOD'S DESIRES
To illustrate this point Jesus called a multitude of people to teach them that it is not what is eaten by man that makes him unclean but it is what comes out of the man. To read His teaching on this topic let us go to,
Matthew 15:10-20
"[10]Jesus called the crowd to him and said, "Listen and understand. [11] What goes into a man's mouth does not make him 'unclean,' but what comes out of his mouth, that is what makes him 'unclean.'" [12] Then the disciples came to him and asked, "Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this?" [13] He replied, "Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by the roots. [14] Leave them; they are blind guides. If a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit." [15] Peter said, "Explain the parable to us." [16] "Are you still so dull?" Jesus asked them. [17] "Don't you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body? [18] But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man 'unclean.' [19] For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. [20] These are what make a man 'unclean'; but eating with unwashed hands does not make him 'unclean.'""
Let us notice the following verses,
12 … Since the law of foods, that is the eating of clean foods and the not eating of unclean foods, see Leviticus 11:1-47, was so intimately intertwined within the Jewish faith, the Pharisee's were offended by Jesus' teaching.
15-20(a) … Jesus reiterated for Peter that it is not what a person eats that defiles the person, but it is what comes out of the heart that defiles them.
20(b) … Jesus also taught them that not eating in accordance with the tradition of the washing of hands does not make a person unclean.
Thus, we find that what defiles us or makes us unclean or unfit for Heaven is not what religious traditions, rules or laws we may not follow but it is our heart. Hence, our problems all stem from our heart or sinful nature. To gain some insight of how serious this problem is let us read what God said through His prophet, Jeremiah in,
Jeremiah 17:9
"[9] The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?"
Hence the questions of: "Does this mean I am doomed? Does this mean that I have no hope?" How can I change this? How can my heart be made different?" Lord knows I have tried. I have made resolution after resolution but somehow and some way my old sinful nature kept rising its ugly head. All I have proved is the truth of God's statement that my heart is or should I say was beyond cure. Is there an answer to my problem?
As we read the Scriptures we find that God graciously has given us the way to change our hearts and this is,
THE NEW BIRTH
To see this let us read the prophecy given by Ezekiel on this subject. To do this let us read from,
Exekiel 36:24-27
""'[24] For I will take you out of the nations; I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your own land. [25] I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. [26] I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. [27] And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws."
Let us notice the following verses,
24 … God promised that a time was going to come when He would gather to Himself all those who are His.
25-26 … When God gathers those who are His He said that He will cleanse them from their sins and filthiness. Furthermore, He promised that He would give us a "new heart." This new heart will not be a heart of stone, that is a disobedient one, but one of flesh, that is pliable and sensitive to His will.
27 … In addition, God also promised that at this time He will also place the Holy Spirit within His people and cause them to live their lives on harmony and obedience to His will.
As one reads the New Testament we discover that the time prophesied by Ezekiel was ushered in by Jesus Christ. In fact, during the Feast of Pentecost, this is exactly what the Apostle Peter told the people after he explained to them what happened when the Holy Spirit descended upon them. To read what Peter said let us go to,
Acts 2:38-39
"[38] Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. [39] The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off--for all whom the Lord our God will call.""
Let us notice the following verses,
38 … If we repent, that is we are truly sorry for the sins we committed and truly desire to follow God and His ways, then we are to place our faith in Jesus Christ. We are to believe that Jesus Christ is the one and only Son of God Who came to this earth as a man and is the second Person of the God Head. We are to believe and accept the fact that Jesus was beaten, humiliated and died on the cross to pay the penalty that was due us for our sins. In addition, we are to believe that after He died He was buried. We are to believe that Jesus Christ rose from the dead and is now in Heaven sitting at the right hand of God the Father. If we believe these things and in faith call upon Him to save us from our sins and accept Him as our Lord, then He promises to send the Holy Spirit to live within us and create within us a new heart. Once all this has taken place Jesus asks us to seal the transaction by being water baptized. Hence, we have been born again to live a new life pleasing to God.
39 … The promise, that is the promise God made through His prophet Ezekiel is for: (1) those who were there at the Feast of Pentecost, (2) to the children of those who were at the Feast of Pentecost, (3) to those were not there and were far away and finally, (4) to all those our Lord will call, that is you and me.
With this in mind the question arises as to: "Are you born again?" "Have you received and accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior?" If you have not, I strongly encourage you to do so. If it is not already obvious, the importance of this act of faith can not be to strongly emphasized. To illustrate its significance let us read the following excerpt of Jesus' conversation with a ruler of the Jews named Nicodemus.
John 3:3
"[3] In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.""
For those who are born again please keep in mind that you have a new heart and God the Holy Spirit lives within you. In other words, you are a temple of God. To refresh our memories let us read from,
1 Corinthians 3:16
"[16] Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you?"
THE MESSAGE
The point or message for this Bible study is for those who are born again. Specifically, God desires mercy not sacrifice. However, the questions arise as to: "How do I do this?" How do I show mercy?"
Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ gives us the answer to these questions by teaching us that it will be by our love that people will know we are His disciples. To refresh our memories of this truth let us read from,
John 13:34-35
""[34] A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. [35] By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.""
As one reflects upon what Jesus said one might ask as to: "How?" "How can I possibly love Jesus as He loves me?" As we study the New Testament we discover that the answer to these questions is for us, the born again believer, to yield our thoughts and desires to our new heart and the Holy Spirit. The Bible teaches us that when we do this, we will not be living in such a manner as to gratify our sinful nature. To see this let us read from,
Galatians 5:16
"[16] So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature."
In other, words when we live by the Spirit or under the control and influence of the Holy Spirit He will bring forth from within us His fruits. To see this let us read from,
Galatians 5:22-23(a)
"[22] But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, [23] gentleness and self-control..."
Let us notice that in verse 22 above we learn that one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit is love. Please note that it will be His love not ours.
Now one might ask as to how does a person walk or live their life in the Holy Spirit? The key to the answer to this question is provided in,
Romans 8:5
"[5] Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires."
In other words, "Where is our mind?" If we are thinking about how to gratify or satisfy the evil lusts of our flesh, then we are walking in the flesh. However, if we are thinking about the things of God and His ways, then we are walking in the Spirit.
AN EXHORTATION
Before we conclude our study let us read the following exhortation concerning the importance for the born again believer to live a life of love. This particular exhortation was given through the hand of Paul and is recorded in,
1 Corinthians 13:1-3
"[1] If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. [2] If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. [3] If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing."
Let us notice the following verses,
1 … If I speak in tongues but have not love then my speech is empty.
2 … If I operate or exercise spiritual gifts but am not motivated by love for others, then I am empty.
3 … Even if I give all my possessions to the poor and even if I am martyred for the sake of the faith and do not have love, then it was all for not. True, the poor may have been helped by my generosity but if my giving was not motivated by love, then I gain nothing.
CLOSING
With the above exhortation in mind let us now close our study by reading the following excerpt from the first letter of the Apostle John,
1 John 5:1-3
"[1] Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well. [2] This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. [3] This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome,"
Shall We Pray?