Matthew 9 – Matthew’s party

“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 each with tax collectors and sinners?’  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.’”

Upon finding Jesus and turning his life over to him the first thing Matthew does is have a big party and invite all his friends over.  Matthew wants to share Jesus with his old buddies who need Jesus just as much as Matthew needed Jesus.

There are two things we can take away from this.  First, those who have newly discovered Jesus are often the best at bringing new people to Jesus.  Second, if we are trying to do ministry and the only people we are around are people who already know Jesus, then we are doing a very shallow form of ministry.

If the people we minister to know Jesus; they may need help, they may need guidance, they may need encouragement, they may need direction, but they should not be the primary focus of our ministry.  They are not the ones dying.  We need to minister most to the sick.  We need to minister most to those who do not know Jesus; those who are dying for a relationship with Jesus.

If you are not surrounded by people who have no relationship with Jesus at some point this week , then you should ask, “am I ministering?”

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