Sermon for St. Matthew (Apostle & Evangelist - 09/21/2025)

 

God Calls Sinners

Matthew 9:9-13

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

If you noticed, today we are celebrating St. Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist.  Some may be wondering what are the qualifications to make one a saint. Others may be wondering what exactly the words ‘apostle’ and ‘evangelist’ mean. Today we will handle these questions.

Simply put, to be a saint one must be holy - perfect and sinless. Of course, we know that no one is holy of their own. And no, a saint does not need to be dead. To label someone a saint, is nothing more than to recognize that they have been called by God, made holy by Him through baptism into Christ’s holiness. Saints are so, because the Holy Spirit has built in them the faith to trust in God’s grace through Christ Jesus for their salvation.

It is highly appropriate then, for us to call one another saints. In fact, if we look at very first verse of the book of Ephesians, Paul calls the believers in Ephesus, saints. He also calls those in Rome, Philippi, Colossae, and all believers saints. Maybe instead of wondering why we call Matthew a saint, it might be more appropriate for us to consider why we do not call fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, saints.

An apostle is a “sent out one.” Someone sent out by another, usually to bring to others a specific message. In our Christian context, we consider those first called by Jesus and sent out by Him to preach repentance for the forgiveness of sins – apostles. These first apostles would include Jesus’ original disciples, to which were added Matthias and Paul. It would also include those men who worked directly with them in the early church of that first century.

 Evangelist is the term used in regard to St. Matthew as one of the four men who recorded what we call Gospels in the Bible; Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

 As the word “evangel” means Good News, we could also call anyone who speaks the Good News of salvation in Jesus Christ to others, to be in a more generic way, an evangelist.

 Let us now examine our text. What kind of a man is Matthew when Jesus comes to him? Jesus finds him sitting in a tax booth. He is a tax collector, those considered by the Jews to be the worst kind of sinners. 

 Why? All the Jews considered them traitors because they collected taxes for their Roman overlords. And only too often, most of them overcharged and pocketed the extra, making them traitorous and blatant thieves. It is easy to see why tax collectors were hated and considered the most vile of sinners.

 Jesus goes to this one tax collector named Matthew and has him follow to a home where Jesus has arranged to have a meal. Other tax collectors and “sinners” also came to that meal.

This scandalized the Pharisees, they were outraged.

How could a known holy man, a rabbi, a teacher, go in to have a meal with vile sinners and willingly sit at table with them? How dare He do such a thing? Didn’t he know that he was becoming unclean by sitting with them? They complained to Jesus’ disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” 

Some well-intentioned Christians sit in church and look down their noses at others whom they believe are less worthy than they are to be in “their” church – they are worse sinners. Yes, Pharisees are members even to today’s congregations.

Jesus, true God, knew what was in the hearts of those complaining about what He was doing. So He speaks to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”

That dearly beloved saints of God in Christ Jesus, is exactly the point of celebrating St. Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist.

Jesus knows full well that ALL are sick and in need of a physician. The Great Physician of souls knows that ALL are dying because of that vile cancerous disease called sinfulness. 

 

The problem is that not all who are sick know they need a physician. How many do not always understand they are physically sick and in need of a doctor’s help? They self-diagnose, thinking it is not as bad as it truly is. It is much later that they discover it is something more serious, sometimes even death threatening. If only it had been caught sooner! 

So also it is true of spiritual health. Yes, many look healthy to the naked eye, they appear to be living God-pleasing lives. To all outward appearances, they are not vile sinners – they do not commit the plainly visible sinful acts.

They may have some minor sins, but they are hidden, buried, and private, nobody else knows of them. It is this sinfulness which can rot people them from their very core. 

Some believe they used to be sinners, but that they are no longer. They do not sin anymore. 

Those who think in either of these ways is self-deluded. God calls such folks, fools. They believe they are righteous, they do not know of their great need for salvation.

God certainly knows the outwardly visible sins – the vile, wicked, evil ones, that everybody else knows about. It is why some people avoid such sinners.

God also knows the sinfulness that lurks in the darkest reaches of every person’s heart and mind. It is these things people think they have hidden which are often not repented of. Such sinfulness does not stare accusingly in the face.

There are too many who do not see their need for repentance. They do not know that they are dying the slow death of sinfulness and so they do not believe they need the Great Physician. 

Those outwardly visible sinners, the tax collectors and sinners; the prostitutes, murderers, thieves, rapists, and drunkards, others know their sins. Too often, so does the rest of the world, it takes very little to see their sinfulness.

Such people, because they are fully aware of how sinful they truly are, are often those who are also easily led to repentance.

But ALL are sinners – those with highly visible sins and those who think their sins are no big deal and are well-hidden.

Christ desires ALL sinners to come to repentance, for only in repentance is there forgiveness of sins..

Christ calls sinners to recognize and turn from their sinfulness and trust solely in His work of salvation for their forgiveness.

Christ calls sinners to hear the Word of forgiveness which His innocent suffering and death purchased.

Christ calls sinner to gather at His table, to eat of His body which was pierced for them and to drink of the cup which holds His blood, given and shed to purchase their forgiveness.

For those who feel no need for these gifts won by Christ, they need not come. To the impenitent, these gifts bring only God’s wrath and punishment.

But, to those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, these are gifts of healing and peace. Christ calls sinners to come to Him, that in Him they find redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Before you today stands a sinner. I know of no reason why God would choose to make me one of His own dear children, much less why He would choose to send me out to proclaim His Word.

Who am I? I am not the best speaker. I am not the best teacher. I oftentimes lack tact. I am certainly not without sin. I do not know why God would choose to send me as one to proclaim the Good News in Christ.

OK, maybe that is not entirely true. I do know why God chose me. He chose me for the same reason He chose to make Matthew an Apostle and Evangelist – because God loves to call sinners. He loves to call sinners because they understand the cost of their salvation best.

Why are you here today?

You are here because God calls sinners to be His dear children.

God calls sinners out of His great mercy and love.

God calls sinners to be His redeemed children in the miracle of baptism – uniting you to Christ’s death and raising you up to new life.

God calls sinners! God calls you to repentance that He might cleanse you of your sin and make you one of His holy ones, one of His saints.

Call calls sinners! God calls you to His table that He might feed you forgiveness and nourish you in the true faith with the very body and blood of His own Son Jesus Christ.

Dearly beloved saints of God in Christ Jesus, God calls you to be His own. God calls you to be His saints, His holy ones – now and forevermore. In the name of Jesus.  Amen.