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Scott's Reference Library
Matthew 9:9 through Matthew 9:13 (NIV)
9As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax
collector’s booth. “Follow me,” he told him, and Matthew got up and followed
him.
10While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and
“sinners” came and ate with him and his disciples. 11When the Pharisees saw
this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors
and ‘sinners’?”
12On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the
sick. 13But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For
I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
VERSE 9
Matthew was in his calling, as the rest of those whom Christ called. As Satan
comes with his temptations to the idle, so Christ comes with his calls to those
who are employed. We are all naturally averse from thee, O God; do thou bid us
to follow thee; draw us by thy powerful word, and we shall run after thee. Speak
by the word of the Spirit to our hearts, the world cannot hold us down, Satan
cannot stop our way, we shall arise and follow thee. A saving change is wrought
in the soul, by Christ as the author, and his word as the means. Neither
Matthew’s place, nor his gains by it, could detain him, when Christ called him.
He left it, and though we find the disciples, who were fishers, occasionally
fishing again afterwards, we never more find Matthew at his sinful gain.
VERSES 10-13
Some time after his call, Matthew sought to bring his old associates to hear
Christ. He knew by experience what the grace of Christ could do, and would not
despair concerning them. Those who are effectually brought to Christ, cannot but
desire that others also may be brought to him. Those who suppose their souls to
be without disease will not welcome the spiritual Physician. This was the case
with the Pharisees; they despised Christ, because they thought themselves whole;
but the poor publicans and sinners felt that they wanted instruction and
amendment. It is easy, and too common, to put the worst constructions upon the
best words and actions. It may justly be suspected that those have not the grace
of God themselves, who are not pleased with others’ obtaining it. Christ’s
conversing with sinners is here called mercy; for to promote the conversion of
souls is the greatest act of mercy. The gospel call is a call to repentance; a
call to us to change our minds, and to change our ways. If the children of men
had not been sinners, there had been no need for Christ to come among them. Let
us examine whether we have found out our sickness, and have learned to follow
the directions of our great Physician.