St Matthew 21 September 2003

Revd Mark Bonney

Apostle, Evangelist - patron saint of bankers - St Matthew is a man of many parts. As a passing introduction it has to be said that he's very possibly more than one man as well. The majority opinion is that the writer of the gospel called Matthew isn't the same person as Matthew the tax collector and apostle; the tradition that links the two is pretty old it has to be said - going back to the second century; but the are major questions around e.g. about why someone who was so close to Jesus should have so few personal reminiscences and rely so closely on someone else's work - in this case Mark's gospel - but these things needn't worry us greatly; just best to avoid easy assumptions that we're talking about one and the same person (which unfortunately the traditional collect for today does).

That aside we have a fascinating few verses before us. If you read Luke's gospel there are lots of occasions when Jesus sits down and has a meal with sinners - but this is the only time this happens in Matthew's gospel. We often make judgments about people on the basis of the company that they keep, adangerous thing to do: Jesus kept very odd company - and clearly for the gospel writer "tax collectors and sinners" were a disreputable bunch. As you will have undoubtedly heard said before, then as now tax collectors were not everyone's favourite person. They were collaborators with the imperial Roman authorities and hence considered disloyal and suspected of treason - we probably wouldn't go quite that far in our assessment of them today. They also made a little extra by extorting from people more than was due - so they were also viewed as exploiters. "Sinners" is a technical term in this context for members of despised trades thought susceptible to uncleanness and thus unable to take a full part in Jewish life: I was entertained to discover that one late first century Rabbinic list describes as sinners; ass-drivers, camel drivers, sailors, casters, herdsmen, shopkeepers, butchers, tanners, bath-attenders and of course -tax collectors. It could have been quite a party around that dinner table!

At this dinner party (as also in many of those in Luke's gospel) Jesus was someone who couldn't be relied upon just to make polite conversation about the weather, and I response to criticism of the company he keeps he makes telling retorts - "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what it means, 'I desire mercy and not sacrifice'. For I have come to call not the righteous but sinners."

I just want to comment briefly on two things from that. The quotation "I desire mercy not sacrifice" comes from the prophet Hosea (6:6) where the prophet rails against the failings of the people - they're terribly concerned with cultic practise and fail to follow the commands of God. The way the passage is used in this Gospel extends its application by opening up for us the important realisation that God is gracious before he's demanding - Jesus sits and eats with these disreputable people as they are, graciously accepting and being with them - loving them as they are, that's where the spiritual journey starts for them. 
There can often be a danger in religious practise and in day to day life for us to demand reform before forgiveness is offered. So often, be it with our children or with family or friends we demand an apology and a recognition of wrong-doing before we're prepared to offer forgiveness… that's not say that recognition of wrong-doing isn't required it's just getting the order right. It's a feature of the gospel that so often it turns our way of doing things upside down - and the pattern of Jesus suggests that to demand reform before extending forgiveness is to get the priorities the wrong way round. In our day to day to lives it's about growing in that less than easy path of not easily taking offence, of not marching off in high dudgeon when someone's wronged us - of grappling with the less than comfortable thought that we too fall short of what we're meant to be as human beings.

And 'falling short of what we're meant to be as human beings' is a rather long-handed way, but perhaps slightly more acceptable way, of saying, in this day and age, that we're all sinners. And believe it or not it's us that Jesus comes to call - not the super good and the wonderful and nearly faultless but us (with apologies to those who think that they're super-good, wonderful and nearly faultless)- it's a call that began with our baptism and for Daisy, Harriet, Isabelle and Pippa begins today at their baptism. The call is to follow Christ - there is the general call that we all have to live with him day by day, to grow through prayer worship and the service of others, and that's a very important foundational pattern that parents and godparents will need to teach these children- but we also journey on to discover what is our particular within the community of those who are baptised. Calling within that sense may be to ordination, or to Readership or to some sort of upfront ministry - but that's by no means that full extent of particular callings - far from it! It's just as much a calling to be a teacher, a mother, a father, a doctor, a builder, a banker- and even possibly a tax collector. We can often be taken aback by a statement like that, as if somehow that side of things is separate from God's call - not entirely what Christianity's about. But that's not so - Christ came to save the whole world - I do believe that in the words of St Paul the whole world is groaning and travailing - it's working it's way to the glory that God created us and all things for - and we each have a very distinct calling as Christians to work within that - even if you're a tax collector - perhaps especially if you're a tax collector!
We glimpse that glory here at the altar as we feed on Christ himself - we glimpse that glory in the waters of baptism as we are washed clean - and we pray that our eyes and hearts may be opened to receive the mercy and forgiveness that God gives us that we may see his glory around us and in others - and share the glory with them - the glory of the one and only living God who is Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.