Matthew 9:9-17

Last night our new Faith, Flicks and Fellowship group got off to a great start with a discussion of the movie End of the Spear. Perhaps some of you saw the movie - it is the story of Christian missionaries in Ecuador in the 1950s, and how they brought the Word of God to some remote jungle tribes. The choice of this movie was good for us not only for the story of the courageous missionaries, but also because one of the key female roles was played by a niece of Dave Bakker's. The story is a great one, and helped us appreciate the dedication of those missionaries.

Unfortunately, a whole group of Christian people chose not to see it. These were people from churches who decided to boycott the movie when it was discovered that the main male role was played by a man who happened to be gay. It seems that the producers of the movie signed a contract with the actor, then found out that he is gay. They debated what to do, and decided to honor the contract. A bunch of Christian churches were angered, and spread a boycott of the movie.

I guess the principle they're living out is that they will not watch a movie where the lead actor is a sinner. The problem is, if that is our rule, we will need to give up watching any movies, because given how many people work on a movie set, every movie has someone who is gay associated with it. So you really don't dare go out to the movies. And if you say, "Well, I'll stay home and watch a good old classic movie on television" - fact is, there were, among those great old-time actors and directors and movie-makers, many gay people. So, as I say, you pretty much have to give up watching movies altogether, just to be safe.

And what about other sins~ don't we have to be just as vigilant about other sins as well? In our divided society, some people believe homosexuality is a sin, and other people do not. But everybody believes that breaking one of the Ten Commandments is a sin. So, if we are going to boycott sinners, how do we know - when we're taking our car to get it fixed, or grocery shopping, or getting a haircut - that we are not associating with people that are breaking one of the Ten Commandments? It's pretty tiring to constantly be on the lookout for the sinners among us.

It's tough to live by a mentality that says we don't do anything that places us in league with someone whose lifestyle we don't like, or whose ideas we don't agree with, or who falls under our definition of sin. First of all, we pick and choose the sins that bother us, and we excuse the others. Secondly, if the idea is that we don't associate with sinners, then we're going to live a pretty narrow, lonely existence- because, the fact is, if the Bible teaching is true that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, then sinners are the only choice we have to do business with. Thirdly, as soon as we start pointing out which sinners we're going to boycott, then we fall prey to one of the most insidious sins of all- the sin of self-righteousness and pride. We tend to forget that we are also sinners in need of God's grace, and we start playing, "My sin isn't as bad as your sin."

But, most important of all, the whole idea of separating ourselves and our business from sinners is just the opposite of how our Lord operated. What does it mean to us that Jesus said, "Judge not, that ye be not judged." Or, "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone." And then, in case we don't get the point, what does it mean that instead of shunning and boycotting sinners, he went right into their houses and had dinner with them?

Some of the radical nature of that act can be lost in translation for us a couple thousand years later. First of all, this was not just a sinner's house - it was a tax collector's house. Tax collector is an honorable profession today. But In Jesus' time, a tax collector was the lowest of the low. A tax collector, first of all, was a crook- was likely to demand way past a fair tax, and had the power to do that. But more than that, a tax collector did business with the Romans - and that made him not only a traitor to his country, but it polluted his standing in all of society. And for Jesus to walk into a tax collector's house was a major offense against his Jewish roots. There is nothing strong enough today to compare with the outrage of that.

But he not only entered the man's house - he reclined there and ate. Today, we might do business over lunch, or have a cup of coffee with a friend - and that act of sharing food is a relational thing to do. But in Jesus' time it was an extremely intimate act. You did not share a meal with someone lightly or casually. It implied acceptance, endorsement, approval. This was a slap in the face to everything Jesus was raised to believe. The religious leaders couldn't take it. Jesus was threatening not only their authority - he was threatening the very fabric of their society. A Jew going into a sinner's house and sharing a meal with him! It was unthinkable; it was dangerous. As we heard, Matthew talks about it in terms of new wine that burst the old wineskins - or a new patch of cloth, that tears away from the old garment. Jesus was stating the beginning of a revolution; but beyond that, he was looking at the self- righteousness and condemning attitude of religious people and declaring, "This will not go on in God's kingdom! God's kingdom will be about mercy; it will be about love; it will not be about labeling people and boycotting people and condemning people." And it is no accident that when Mark tells the story of Jesus eating with sinners, it is just a few verses later that we read that the religious and political leaders began to plot how to put Jesus to death. In their eyes, this man had to be stopped.

And we're kidding ourselves if we think for a moment that those same ~ condemning, labeling, boycotting attitudes aren't around today.

A while back I read a story about Hall-of-Fame baseball star Yogi Berra -- a story that I filed next to this morning's scripture lesson, because I think it is a modem version of the story. Yogi was asked to come and speak at the father-son banquet of a large church. When he got there, he found that the men had bought baseballs and bats for their sons, and the boys were thrilled to bring them for Yogi's autograph. He was having a great time with the kids.

But then he noticed a table full of boys over in the comer who were not taking part. So he asked one of the churchmen why those boys didn't have bats and balls like the others. The man responded, "Oh, those are just the boys from the orphanage down the street. We invite them every year. We didn't buy them baseball bats because we figured just being here was enough for them."

So Yogi went and sat over at that table, and talked with those boys. And he signed napkins, and he signed programs, and he signed forearms and foreheads, and they just had a blast. And one of the men finally walked over, a little annoyed, and said, "Yogi, our sons are all waiting for you to say a few words." And Yogi said, "Oh, you go ahead without me. I'm having fun with my new friends here."

I believe in that story Yogi acted out the phrase, What Would Jesus Do?. You see, while we're busy drawing lines - who's in, who' out, who's worthy, who's not, who's saved, who's lost - Jesus walks right up to the one we call the worst, and reaches out arms of forgiveness and grace. Someone once said that any time we in the church draw a line to keep someone out, Jesus is standing on the other side of the line. And we need to thank God for that, because all of us are on the other side of the line at one time or another, and we have a Savior who stands beside us.

I thank God every day that our Lord embraces sinners - because I know that is my only hope. Praise God, it is also my assurance that I can stand before God - not because I deserve to; not because I can boast of a single thing I've done, or thought, or completed in this life. I can stand before God because the great physician came for those who are sick, and Jesus has embraced me, a helpless sinner, has invited me, given his life for me, and stands with me before God. And he reaches out to you and me today with a love so deep that if you respond to that gift in faith, then no human barrier or law could keep him from coming to your house, and no human rule could keep him from sharing at your table. And no human cruelty could keep him from giving his life so that we might have a chance for forgiveness and salvation.

And then here's the thing - knowing that he carried that cross for us - that it was our sin that put him there, and our salvation he accomplished - that very knowledge softens us, humbles us toward other people. How could we judge somebody else when our Lord did that for us?

Today the A-word we add to our list for apostles is Accepting - Apostles are accepting. Of course, that doesn't mean we accept all behavior; it doesn't mean that we never speak out and point out sin and injustice and oppression in this world. It does mean that we love all people with the love of Christ - not labeling and judging, but accepting and honoring the image of God in each person.

I've been in groups and studies where we discussed who it was who helped you the most in your walk of faith, and helped you accept God's love. And I may be wrong, but I don't recall a single time when someone said, "It was the person who judged me." Instead, it was always, "It was the person who loved me." And how could it be otherwise? Because the message of our Lord is shared most deeply by people who hardly feel worthy to say the words. But they have to; because in their heart of hearts they know that they are not great people - but they are people who have been accepted by the grace of a great God. And that's something that must be shared with others.

That grace is all through this church today. You are here because God wants you here. I truly believe that Jesus will not force himself on anybody - but he will accept every invitation. And if that invitation is sincere, he will show up with a grace and mercy that is healing, transforming and like new wine pouring over our tired lives. That's the promise that's before us; have you sent out the invitation?