The Gospel of Matthew 9:9-13, 18-26
As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth; and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he got up and followed him. And as he sat at dinner in the house, many tax collectors and sinners came and were sitting with him and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” But when he heard this, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have come to call not the righteous but sinners.” While he was saying these things to them, suddenly a leader of the synagogue came in and knelt before him, saying, “My daughter has just died; but come and lay your hand on her, and she will live.” And Jesus got up and followed him, with his disciples. Then suddenly a woman who had been suffering from hemorrhages for twelve years came up behind him and touched the fringe of his cloak, for she said to herself, “If I only touch his cloak, I will be made well.” Jesus turned, and seeing her he said, “Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well.” And instantly the woman was made well. When Jesus came to the leader’s house and saw the flute players and the crowd making a commotion, he said, “Go away; for the girl is not dead but sleeping.” And they laughed at him. But when the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took her by the hand, and the girl got up. And the report of this spread throughout that district.
Let us Pray: Dear Lord, as you called Matthew from his tax booth, call us to follow you wholeheartedly. Help us to leave behind our distractions and serve you faithfully. Amen.
Jesus is the One who sees beyond appearances, calls the unlikely, heals the broken, and restores life where others see only death. He recognizes those who others ignore. This greatly upsets the Pharisees, The Pharisees object, object to His eating with tax collectors and sinners and confront Him. Jesus reframes holiness as proximity to the wounded, not separation from them. We see this all round us today. Those in power seem to separate out those mostly in need, being ignored or any help has been cut. Jesus recognizes a gift from God sitting at a tax booth and simply says, “Matthew, follow me.” Jesus chooses a hated social pariah and invites him on a journey. Matthew then demonstrates a spiritual person’s foundational quality for a life with God: Obedience. He heard the call to follow, and he got up and went. Jesus, fully aware of what is going on addresses the Pharisees directly, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor; sick people do.” He then pulls a page straight from their fundamentalist playbook, looks at them in the eyes, and then he quotes scripture to them. “Go and learn what this means – “I desire mercy, not sacrifice.”” And since they were Pharisees, the Jewish Ph.D.’s of Religious Studies back then, they would know that Jesus just quoted Hosea 6:6 which was written to the apostate spiritual and political leaders of Israel and Judah centuries before. And no doubt, since they were the know-it-alls of all things Jewish, the Pharisees would know the next line that follows in Hosea 6:7 which reads, “But like Adam they transgressed the covenant, there they dealt faithlessly with me.” Jesus has metaphorically just dropped the mic and has publicly schooled them. Think about Jesus in these situations, just how present he is to the moment. He looks at, listens to, and pays attention to what is happening, but he sees, hears, and engages. He is continually asking himself, “What is going on in what is happening? What is the real need here and what is being asked of me?” As His mind is racing, a synagogue leader kneels before Jesus in an act of humility and desperation. His daughter is dead. Yet he believes Jesus can restore life. This is resurrection faith: Faith that refuses to accept death as the final word. Jesus immediately rises and follows him. God moves toward those who cry out. Then the Woman with the hemorrhage after twelve years of bleeding, twelve years of isolation, twelve years of being told she is unclean, untouchable, unworthy, approaches Jesus from behind, quiet, trembling, hoping not to be noticed. But Jesus notices. He turns, sees her, and says: “Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well.” Jesus is acting in the present fully aware of those around Him. How do we react to real and present situations, Do we give existence to whatever it is God might be insisting and asking of us? That is what we see Jesus doing throughout today’s Gospel responding to God.
This reading opens many questions: How would we respond to a call from Jesus? Would we just leave everything and go or would we find a multitude of excuses not to. Do we exist in the present and are fully aware of those around us in need? Do we need the courage of the bleeding woman? What wounds have we carried too long in silence?
Let us Pray: Redeeming Sustainer, visit your people and pour out your strength and courage upon us, that we may hurry to make you welcome not only in our concern for others, but by serving them generously and faithfully in your name. Amen.
Reflections by Bob 