Sermon - St. Matthew 2025 - Matthew 9:9-13

The Calling of Saint Matthew, Caravaggio, 1609

Filled with the Word

1. Empty yourself of worthless wealth

2. Be filled with God’s Word

3. Follow Jesus despite the world’s enmity

A blessed feast of St. Matthew to you my brothers and sisters! Today we give thanks to God for the apostle and evangelist Matthew. Through his local ministry in Ethiopia he proclaimed the Gospel to many, and through his book of the Bible he proclaimed the Gospel to many more millions and millions of people. According to tradition, he was martyred in Ethiopia during the Divine Service by a soldier sent from the king, since Matthew had rebuked the king for his sins. So Matthew fulfilled Christ’s command, and rose and followed Jesus through life and death, and one day shall follow Him to rise from the grave.

Indeed, as we heard Matthew write of himself: “As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him.” Our Lord Jesus called Matthew to empty himself of all worthless worldly wealth, of which Matthew had a lot, and to instead be filled with God’s Word. Matthew made a significant sacrifice in following Jesus, and his conversion ought to inspire us to be faithful no matter the cost.

Matthew was a tax collector. And I suppose people are probably never a big fan of the guy who takes away your money and gives it to the government. But tax collectors in the days of Jesus were particularly upsetting. Israel was under Roman control and had to pay taxes to Rome. Various Jews were then employed by Rome to collect taxes in Israel and send it to Rome. Rome didn’t care if the collectors took more taxes than were owed to line their own pockets. As such, tax collectors were hated because they were both collecting taxes for a foreign government, and because they took more taxes than what was owed them. This meant that tax collectors were made rich and lived luxuriously at the expense and suffering of their own people.

So when Jesus commanded Matthew: “Follow Me,” it was a call out of his sinful and wealthy lifestyle. For example, when Jesus called Zacchaeus out of his sin, he vowed: “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold.” To follow Jesus meant a significant lifestyle change! Matthew was a tax collector, so I would suspect he was good with money and numbers, and he could tell it would be a financially terrible decision to follow Jesus. It wasn’t convenient, it wasn’t comfortable, it was miserable! In following Jesus, Matthew was going to have to give up his luxurious lifestyle.

In chapter 8, right before Jesus called Matthew, He described the cost to follow Him: “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.” Following Jesus wherever He goes meant giving up earthly comforts, like having a place to sleep at the end of the day, like having an earthly home. Or when later in chapter 10, Jesus sends out His twelve apostles, and tells them: “You will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.” Becoming a follower of Jesus meant that Matthew was going to be hated and eventually killed.

It’s kind of funny that Matthew went from one occupation where he was hated by the people, to another occupation where he was again hated by the people. You would think that quitting his tax collector life would make people like him, especially the church people, but instead they continued to hate him. When Jesus reclined with tax collectors and sinners, the Pharisees hated Jesus even more! You’d think the Pharisees would be glad Mathew had repented and turned away from his evil career, but no!

Such is the way of this world. You’d think if you get your life turned around so that you’re no longer living in sin but you are repentant and following Jesus that people would like you more, but that’s just not the way this life works. So if you think being a Christian will make your life more pleasant, will make you richer or more wealthy and successful, then I’m sorry, you came to the wrong place. That’s not what Christ came to do.

Instead, Jesus explained: “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.” Jesus came as a physician, and physicians are there to help people who are sick. Now, normal physicians can only help and try their best, they’re not always successful. But Jesus is different! He came to heal the sin-sick soul by applying the balm of Gilead, the medicine of immortality, His own blood shed on Calvary. Jesus came to forgive the sinners their sins, and to call them out of their sins, and into life. He came to declare the sinners righteous. Thus, all who abide in Him shall inherit eternal paradise instead of an earthly treasure.

The Lord Jesus Christ today calls you, dear brothers and sisters, to repent of your love of riches. “Godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.”

This doesn’t mean you can’t have any money, but it does mean you mustn't love it. Matthew gave up His love of money for the sake of Christ and he died a martyr. It can be very helpful to create a budget, or keep track of your spending, so that you can see what your heart loves. Your bank statement can be a very convicting thing, to see that there are things that you love through your money more than you do the Lord. So follow the example of St. Matthew and repent. Empty yourself of your love of money, and instead be filled with a far greater treasure! Be filled with the word of God!

Be like Ezekiel and eat the scroll! I love this imagery from Ezekiel. “And he said to me, “Son of man, eat whatever you find here. Eat this scroll, and go, speak to the house of Israel.” So I opened my mouth, and he gave me this scroll to eat. And he said to me, “Son of man, feed your belly with this scroll that I give you and fill your stomach with it.” Then I ate it, and it was in my mouth as sweet as honey.” Having been emptied of your sin by Jesus, be filled with something far sweeter: the Word of God! 

This word of God gives me understanding, it leads me down the right path, it gives me life! Jesus is the Word made flesh, He is the bread of life, and He bids us: take and eat! “Whoever feeds on My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day.” Instead of being filled with all manner of worldly wealth which only leads to death, be filled with Jesus and His Word, which gives you eternal life.

Something incredible about this Word is that while it’s sweet when you’re eating it, it becomes bitter in you and you spit it out. “So I went to the angel and told him to give me the little scroll. And he said to me, “Take and eat it; it will make your stomach bitter, but in your mouth it will be sweet as honey.”” When you are filled with God’s Word you cannot help but speak it as well so that others may hear it! This is what happened to Matthew and all the apostles, they were filled with the Word and then they had to speak it. The same word of repentance and forgiveness which they heard, they also had to speak to others. 

This is why God sent apostles, prophets, evangelists, and pastors: First, to equip the saints; second, to do the work of the ministry; and third, to build up the body of Christ. How do they do this? By speaking the word of God which builds us up in the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God. When you hear this word, even if you’re not a pastor, you too are given to “speak the truth in love.” This word of God fills you, and having been filled with the Word, you must speak the truth, you must confess Jesus Christ in word and in deed. 

This won’t always make you popular, because what you say and do will be hated by those who hate Jesus. This world is rebellious and sometimes it will refuse to hear. But like Ezekiel, like Matthew, the Lord says: “Behold, I have made your face as hard as their faces, and your forehead as hard as their foreheads… Fear them not, nor be dismayed at their looks… All My words that I shall speak to you receive in your heart, and hear with your ears.” Be courageous, dear Christians!  No other word has the power to heal sinners like us. No other word can change the evils around us. Only the Word of God can give life.

So let us remember St. Matthew today. Let us emulate his example for us, and repent of our sins and turn and follow Jesus. Let us be willing to forsake all worldly wealth for the sake of Jesus. Let us be filled with the book of life and then boldly speak the word of God to all, even those who hate us, for only this sweet word has the power to save even sinners.