God's Zeal to Strengthen the Broken
I. THE CALL OF MATTHEW AS A PARADIGM OF GOD’S KINGDOM MERCY
As Jesus passed on from there, He saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax office. And He said to him,
"Follow Me." So he arose and followed Him. 10 As Jesus sat at the table in the house, that behold, many tax
collectors and sinners came and sat down with Him and His disciples. 11 When the Pharisees saw it, they
said to His disciples, "Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?" 12 He (Jesus) said to
them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 13 But go and learn what
this means: 'I desire mercy and not sacrifice.' For I did not come to call (to discipleship) the righteous, but
sinners, to repentance." (Matthew 9:9–13)
A. Forgiveness was the focus of the previous scene, when Jesus healed a paralytic (Matthew 9:1-8).
6 “But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins"--then He said to the paralytic,
"Arise, take up your bed, and go to your house." (Matthew 9:6)
B. Now Jesus pushes the issue of the centrality of forgiveness in immediately calling Matthew, a tax collector, to be an
apostle or a primary leader in the Kingdom of God. Jesus saw Matthew working at a tax collecting station. Matthew was sitting
at the roadside to collect tax on food and cargo that was carried in and out of Israel. He charged taxes on all the produce.
Tax collectors in that culture were hatred by all because they abused their own people. In their greed, they became rich by
taking money from their poor countrymen as they extorted more money than was required by the Roman officials. Table
fellowship in that culture was a statement of close relationships (Revelation 3:21).
C. Jesus saw the potential in Matthew’s future dedication to God. That Jesus called a tax collector to be a leader was
scandalous. Matthew’s name is on the foundations of the New Jerusalem.
14 Now the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of
the Lamb. (Revelation 21:14)
D. In using a familiar proverb of the physician, Jesus refers to “righteous” and “sinners” or the “respectable religious
person” and “sinful outcasts.” Jesus is speaking of the Pharisees using their false self-perceptions and false estimate of
being righteous.
E. Jesus quotes Hosea 6:6 and commanded them to “go and learn” the message of mercy as given by the prophet
Hosea who married a harlot to give prophetic testimony of God’s commitment to show mercy to adulterous Israel.
6 For I desire mercy and not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings. (Hosea 6:6)
F. Jesus’ purpose in coming from heaven was to call sinners to fellowship with God. Forgiveness and mercy are central
to Jesus’ ministry. We believe this for sinners, but not for saints.
10 For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost. (Luke 19:10)
II. JESUS EMPHASIZES THE CENTRALITY OF MERCY
Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. And His disciples…began to pluck heads of grain and to
eat. 2 When the Pharisees saw it, they said to Him, "Look, Your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on
the Sabbath!" …6 I say to you that in this place there is One greater than the temple. 7 But if you had known
what this means, 'I desire mercy and not sacrifice,' you would not have condemned the guiltless.
(Matthew 12:1-7)
A. Jesus twice spoke of Hosea’s emphasize on mercy (Matthew 9:13; 12:7) and refers to it a third time.
23 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of (herbs) mint and anise and cummin,
and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. (Matthew 23:23)
B. David trusted in God’s mercy or His tenderness in relating to him in his weaknesses and sin. People often resist,
reject, and repel God’s mercy because it violates their sense of justice. They feel that they do not deserve forgiveness. It
is true, they do not deserve it. We receive mercy based on what Jesus did on the cross, not on what we have accomplished
(2 Corinthians 5:17-21).
I have trusted in Your mercy… (Psalm 13:5)
35 Your gentleness has made me great. (Psalm 18:35)
18 Who is a God like You…?He delights in mercy. (Micah 7:18)
C. John saw a rainbow around God’s Throne because mercy surrounds all that proceeds from it.
3 …There was a rainbow around the Throne, in appearance like an emerald. (Revelation 4:3)
D. God’s mercy prevails in God’s court as well as in transforming our heart. In other words, it triumphs by causing people
to turn from sin and thus avoiding God’s eternal judgments.
13 Mercy triumphs over judgment. (James 2:13)
4 …Not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance? (Romans 2:4)
E. The Psalmist proclaimed that he would sing and thus, “build up” God’s mercy forever. The implications of God’s
mercy will be seen and understood more as God’s eternal plan unfolds. We will exalt it more and more as the ages unfold.
The congregation of the saints and angels in heaven will be filled with the wonder of God’s mercy and faithfulness as one
for theme songs of eternity. The emerald rainbow forever shines brightly around the Throne as we gather on the Sea of
glass (Revelaton 15:2)
1 I will sing of the mercies of the LORD forever…2 For I have said, "Mercy shall be built up forever; Your
faithfulness You shall establish in the very heavens"…5 The heavens (angels) will praise Your wonders…
Your faithfulness also in the assembly of the saints. (Psalm 89:1-5)
2 I saw…a sea of glass mingled with fire, and those who have the victory…standing on the sea…3, saying:
"Great and marvelous are Your works…O King of the saints! (Revelation 15:2-3)
III. JESUS’ ZEAL TO STRENGTHEN EVEN THOSE WHO ARE MOST BROKEN
14 Then the Pharisees went out and plotted against Him, how they might destroy Him. 15 But when Jesus
knew it, He withdrew from there. And great multitudes followed Him, and He healed them all. 16 Yet He
warned them not to make Him known, 17 that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet,
saying: 18 "Behold, My Servant whom I have chosen, My Beloved in whom My soul is well pleased! I will put
My Spirit upon Him, and He will declare justice to the Gentiles. 19 He will not quarrel nor cry out, nor will
anyone hear His voice in the streets. 20 A bruised reed He will not break, and smoking flax He will not
quench, till He sends forth justice to victory; 21 and in His name Gentiles will trust." (Matthew 12:14-21)
A. When Jesus withdrew from this conflict He fulfilled Scripture (Isaiah 42:1–4). He did not fight back against those who
opposed Him. Isaiah predicted that the Messiah (as the suffering servant) would establish justice without use of force,
violence or harsh debate. Jesus failed the people’s expectation when He refused to act against Rome in the way of the
revolutionary Jewish zealots.
B. Jesus did not come in a way that most expected Him to, as the triumphant Messiah. Isa 42 gives a radical picture
of the Messiah which was significantly different from popular expectation. In the context of hostility, Matthew points to the
gentle servant nature of the Messiah. The context shows crowds being healed then warned by Jesus to not make him
known (v 16). Matthew specifically showed Jesus as being powerful in word and deed yet operating in a servant spirit as
expressed through meekness. Jesus did not bring judgment to His enemies as Isaiah said.
C. One of Jesus’ main purposes is to proclaim, “justice to the nations” (v. 20). Justice is to be taken in the positive sense
rather than “judgment” as clarified in the Gentiles trusting Him (v. 21).
D. Parable: the unrighteous judge and the cry for justice (NAS) avenge (NKJ)
7 Shall not God bring about justice for His elect, who cry to Him day and night? (Luke 18:7)
A. The two sides of God’s justice (salvation and judgment). Salvation (deliverance, vindication) to the responsive as
God’s releases His power to make wrong things right. Judgment (punishment, vengeance) to the rebellious to stop
rebellion. Examples of God’s justice (salvation) includes: Holiness or God’s judgment on sin and sinful addictions. Physical
healing or God’s judgment on sickness. Revival: God’s judgment on compromise is seen as the Church is revived.
Righteous legislation: God’s judgment on unrighteous abortion laws, etc.
B. In verse 20 Isaiah used a broken reed and a smoldering wick to picture that which is very fragile and could be
easily destroyed. Jesus promises to bring justice or victory to all who will believe by cooperating with the grace of God.
Jesus’ healing ministry is focused on mercy or on giving undeserved favor to the unworthy. It is very easy to quit when we
feel pain and hopelessness in our struggle against sin. Many feel like a bruised reed and smoldering wick, yet the Lord
sees real life and fire. It is not gone and is not false. The Lord plans to fan the flames and restore the life flow and fire in
our heart. This is so that the hopeless will again trust and rejoice in the Lord. We have many important things yet to do.
C. Jesus esteems even the smallest evidence of life and the least spark of fire in our spirit. The wick is almost entirely
out. Only smoke is seen but in Jesus there is hope, if there is still a stirring of conscience or yearning for Jesus, however
feeble and inconsistent. If we cooperate with His offer of mercy and not take it casually.
14 God does not take away a life; but He devises means, so that His banished ones are not expelled from Him.
(2 Samuel 14:14)
D. Jesus is our sympathetic High Priest who deals tenderly with us as we repent of our sins.
15 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses…16 Let us therefore come
boldly to the Throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy… (Hebrews 4:15-16)
IV. GOD HAS JOINED MERCY AND THE FEAR OF GOD TOGETHER
A. God delights in mercy that produces the fear of God in people instead of spiritual presumption.
11 The LORD takes pleasure in those who fear Him…who hope in His mercy. (Psalm 147:11)
B. David understood that his only hope to mature in the fear of God was to receive mercy throughout the years of
growing spiritually mature.
3 If You, LORD, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? 4 But there is forgiveness with You, that
You may be feared. (Psalm 130:3-4)
C. God shows great mercy to those who have set their heart to fear Him.
3 If You, LORD, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? 4 But there is forgiveness with You, that
You may be feared. (Psalm 130:3-4)
18 The eye of the LORD is on those who fear Him…who hope in His mercy… (Psalm 33:18)
V. RESPONDING TO GOD’S MERCY
A. How we respond to God’s mercy determines our future in God. We must not refuse it nor take it in vain. We must not
refuse to trust it when we fail, nor seek to earn it when we do well. To honor God’s mercy, we must refuse compromise and
condemnation. The way to receive the full benefits of God’s delight in showing us mercy is by declaring war on all the
areas of compromise in our life and to refuse condemnation after we repent of our sin.
1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to
the flesh, but according to the Spirit. (Romans 8:1)
B. We must not be casual about God’s mercy and thus receive it in vain so that it does not produce gratitude,
obedience, and the fear of God in our hearts.
1 We…plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain. (2 Corinthians 6:1)
2 For indeed the gospel was preached to…them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not
being mixed with faith (confidence) in those who heard it. (Hebrews 4:2)