May 24, 2026

Saints & Sinners

Matthew

Primary Text: Matthew 9:9-13           

1)  Publicans

Matthew 9:9:  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. 

Luke 5:27-28:  After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector by the name of Levi sitting at his tax booth.  “Follow me,” Jesus said to him, and Levi got up, left everything and followed him.  

Luke 19:1-6:  Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through.  A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy.  He wanted to see who Jesus was, but being a short man he could not, because of the crowd.  So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.  When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately.  I must stay at your house today.”  So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly. 

DQ 1) What is a Publican?  Why were they hated in the time of Jesus’ incarnation?

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2)  Tax Collectors & Sinners!

Matthew 9:10-11:  While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and “sinners” came and ate with him and his disciples.  When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and ‘sinners’?” (see also Luke 5:29-30)  

Luke 19:7-10:  All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a ‘sinner.’”  But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord!  Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.”  Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham.  For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.” 

DQ 2) Why did the Pharisees look down upon tax collectors and sinners?

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3)  The Truly Needy

Matthew 9:12-13:  On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.  But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’  For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Hosea 6:6:  For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings.

Luke 5:31-32:  Jesus answered them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.  I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”

DQ 3) What did Jesus’ statement, “For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners” mean for the Pharisees and for everyone else?

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