Experience New Life - Matthew 9 - Proper 10 Year A

Experience New Life

Tony E Hansen

Sermon based upon Matthew 9:9-13, 18-26, Hosea 5:15-6:6, Psalm 50

Jesus crossed the sea and has now come to town. Crowds are forming and people are being brought forward.

Matthew, the tax collector, is told “follow me”. He is called.

Long before I went to seminary or got into ministry, I somehow understood there was a path to do something - someone calling.

This is where I picked my confirmation name of Matthew. (In the Catholic tradition, one picks a name that is used to call them in confirmation. With that name, you are anointed by the bishop in sacrament to receive the Holy Spirit - Pentecost.)

Protestant do this as a rite rather than a sacrament, but one essentially affirms their baptism, although some go further and do a baptism during a confirmation.

Both do something strikingly similar in affirming faith. Many will ask not only the students but the whole congregation to affirm their faith by renewing baptismal promises.

What are we affirming?

Faith is a word, but more. It is a concept and one with significant weight in our world. To say I have faith in you is to say I trust you. To say I have faith, the religious kind, is to invoke a following and discipleship.

We talked a bit about the creed last week for Trinity Sunday, and will visit more of that.

To summarize, I, in my faith, affirm that I am deeply spiritual and looking for all of the ways that God speaks to us with great care, forgiveness and love.

In the Gospel story, this is happening in real time versus us professing after the events we know. In these events, there are at least four people:

Matthew, the tax collector.

A woman who has been suffering for years has courage to merely touch.

A leader who daughter is apparently dead

And there are the observers (both those hem-and-haw and those who are amazed.)

I want us to look at the first two.

A tax collector has many entanglements that people associate to them: tax from oppressive regimes, manipulation and deception. Are they part of the problem (perhaps well-deserved reputation), somehow “trapped” in this situation or trying to do good in a world that pushes them or even false labels them?

Why does Jesus call Matthew? Why call?

Jesus sees someone for all of the flaws they could be and all of the casting that people have done. Jesus sees Matthew and calls him.

It doesn’t matter what people conjure and imagine; Jesus offers mercy and does with intention. Matthew, “those who are sick”, is called out of that life and into new life. Matthew, without objection, follows and they go have dinner.

People are watching and asking doing the grunts-and-whys complaining.

Jesus response: “I am not here for those think they have it all figured out with perfect dress or correct associations. I am here for those who have been left out, taunted or refused.”

Then, someone comes in and cries that his daughter is dead. Jesus goes to heal.

This next part of the lesson is powerful.

On the way, a woman, who thanks to purity laws, can’t go get or ask for help. She is left alone by a system designed to push out women for false ideas about cleanliness and purity. She may not think she can ask for help like the leader just a moment ago. She could be thinking what if he yells at me for even touching him (or worse).

But she does. She reaches into that heart of hers; she finds faith and courage to reach out for help - for just a chance. She put all of herself into this.

No one else is helping her these days, and she is likely quite lonely because of this. She may ask and she may get denied, but rather the Spirit guides her in this moment.

The Spirit works. Jesus is right there. God is here.

For all of the people who were tossed out of congregations;

For all of the people who couldn’t step foot into a religious space;

For all of the ones, like me, who heard the grunts-and-whys complaints or experienced real violence;

For us who felt the weight of being ostracized for being who we are;

For us who had to adapt to a world that rejected us;

this story is for us.

Jesus not only calls Matthew into new life. This woman is given an opportunity to try something. We are all give opportunities when we think about it, but it is up to us to make the most of that.

We could cower away and go on living in yucky continuing with self-loathing even. What opportunity is before you and how can God help?

This woman is given a blessing for her effort - her courage - her faith. Jesus blesses her for her faith. “Your faith has made you well.” Jesus affirms that faith with no caveats or expectations.

Where is your courage to reach out? Where is your faith that life is something for us to live rather than a muddled, isolated existence?

Jesus heals when we reach out or when we contemplate life. Jesus gives you and I permission to be who we are - no matter where we are on life’s journey.

You and I who are sinners; we are loved. Jesus calls us, calls me, calls you, into something much bigger than broken isolation and rejection.

God blesses us and sends the Spirit to be with us in these moments so that we can be strong. We don’t have to feel lost. We can find opportunities, we can find purpose and we can be a part of this greater kingdom today.

Find the Spirit right there with you, listen, reach out, and be blessed for your courage. Experience new life.

Thanks be to God, Amen.