Amen, The Truth Is Marching On Jeremiah

 Amen! The Truth Is Marching On!

Immanuel Lutheran Church, Mt. Olive, Illinois

July 5, 2026

Jeremiah 28.5-13

Then the prophet Jeremiah spoke to the prophet Hananiah in the presence of the priests and in the presence of all the people who stood in the house of the LORD, and the prophet Jeremiah said, “Amen! The LORD do so; the LORD perform your words which you have prophesied, to bring back the vessels of the LORD’s house and all who were carried away captive, from Babylon to this place. Nevertheless hear now this word that I speak in your hearing and in the hearing of all the people: The prophets who have been before me and before you of old prophesied against many countries and great kingdoms—of war and disaster and pestilence. As for the prophet who prophesies of peace, when the word of the prophet comes to pass, the prophet will be known as one whom the LORD has truly sent.”

Introduction

     This morning we are giving thanks for the opportunity we had this week to teach over fifty children the important truths of the Christian faith. We learned from the Bible that Jesus is God’s Promised Son, His Perfect Son, His Powerful Son, His Proven Son, and God’s Plan for the forgiveness of the whole world. Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life” (John 8.23). But what is the darkness? Surprisingly more than a few children did not know what sin was. Our culture tries to hide it and deny it. So we also studied the Ten Commandments and the reason why Jesus always called people to repentance. Sin is whatever contradicts God’s word and God’s will. 

Jeremiah and Truth

     Our Old Testament lesson today comes from the prophet Jeremiah. Like Isaiah and John the Baptist, God called him from the womb even before he was born to be His prophet, His mouthpiece. This shows us an important truth that is commonly challenged today that life comes from God and  begins at conception. As a youth Jeremiah was called to do two things: To tear down and destroy the lies that people were being told as well as the evil life this is always built upon lies – regardless of how beautiful and peaceful it was said to be. The second thing Jeremiah was called to do was to build up the truth and the life of truth by holding the promises God had given and especially the promises of a New Covenant found in Jesus. A covenant of righteousness that comes from God not from our own efforts.

     Jeremiah used the Hebrew word “shuv” more than any other prophet. This simple word means “repent,” or “turn back.” It was the word a Hebrew farmer would call out to an ox that was pulling a plow when it came to the end of a row. “Turn,” Jeremiah warned Israel, from path of lies and evil that would only lead to judgment and destruction. They worshiped Canaanite Baal, god of sexual promiscuity, and sacrificed their children to Molech. They oppressed the poor and cheated one another in business. They were sexually immoral, and Jeremiah gave some of most graphic descriptions of this in the Bible. Worst of all, they covered all these lies and sinful lifestyles with a thin veneer of religiosity.

     In our text today, Jeremiah had used an object lesson. He wore a wooden yoke to show how Israel would be enslaved. But another prophet, Hananiah, undermined him and said that he was the one spreading lies and misinformation. The battle of the prophets ensued, and Jeremiah simply said, “Amen. The Lord do so… As for the prophet who prophesies of peace, when the word of the prophet comes to pass, the prophet will be known as one whom the LORD has truly sent.” Within one year the Hananiah was dead, and within six years Jerusalem was destroyed and a remanent of Israel was sent to Babylon.

The History of Truth

     The battle of the prophets, the battle between the truth of God and the lies of the devil has continued throughout history. Six hundred years after Jesus brought the truth– teaching repentance and the remission of sins based on His own sacrifice on the cross, the prophet Muhammed came along and denied the cross, the resurrection, and replaced “remission” with “submission” as the key to salvation. Twelve hundred years after Christ the papacy emerged claiming to be the voice of God and that Jesus forgives you “partially” not totally. Eighteen hundred years after Christ, the philosopher/prophet, Nietzsche taught that God is dead and there is no such thing as truth. Christians are right now in the thick of this battle of the prophets. 

     The battle of the prophets, the battle between the truth of God and the lies of the devil has been going on since the Garden of Eden. God’s word always teaches us the truth, and the truth leads to life. “Do this,” Jesus said regarding the Ten Commandments, “and you shall live” (Luke 10.28). And again, “I am the way, the truth, and the life…” (John 14.6). Like Jeremiah, Jesus called all to repentance, to turn from their own self-righteousness and to take the commandments of God seriously and deeply. Do I really love God? Do I really love my neighbor as myself? Paul, the former Pharisee, recognized the problem of his own self-righteousness. He loved the Law of God as we all should. But he loved it for the wrong reasons. He thought the Law would save him through his own efforts to keep it. If that were the case, he wouldn’t need God. But the purpose of the Law is to show us our sin and, as he said in Romans seven, to make “sin exceedingly sinful” (7.13). All of this was designed by God to bring us to Him through in His Son, Jesus.

The Future of Truth

     What about the future of truth? Our country was founded two hundred and fifty years ago not as a Christian country, in the sense that you have to be a Christian to be an American. But it was obviously founded by Christians and on Christian principles. In the Declaration of Independence, which we should all read this week, Thomas Jefferson appealed to the “Laws of nature and nature’s God,” and to the truth that “all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable (not able to be transferred) Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” Yet it has been hard to implement these truths faithfully. The stain of slavery gave rise to the Civil War. In the early stages of that war Julia Ward Howe recognized the battle of the prophets that was at the root of it all. She wrote the poem, “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” in which we read these words repeated, “His truth is marching on!” Would that all countries would recognize the importance of the pursuit of truth, the truth that comes from God!

     Today we live in a time when people still challenge the truth of Nature and of Nature’s God. As Paul said to the Philippians: “For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame—who set their mind on earthly things” (3.18-19). Not only do they reject the truths of man and woman, marriage and family, the right to life from conception to grave, the freedom of speech and religion, economic justice and the freedom for charity, creativity & progress; they suppress this truth, attempt to rewrite history, and compel everyone to fall line with their views. 

Conclusion

     Like the prophet Hananiah in the Old Testament, these modern prophets all say the people who follow the Biblical prophets and Jesus are the hateful ones. We are ones who don’t understand God. We are the hypocrites who practice the wrong religion. Theirs is the religion of peace and love, of true freedom and justice. The battle of the prophets is old and new at the same time. The battle for truth will never end. Yet for those who follow Jeremiah, Jesus, and the Apostles, there is a simple response: “Amen… As for the prophet who prophesies of peace, when the word of the prophet comes to pass, the prophet will be known as one whom the LORD has truly sent.” Jesus said it this way: “Wisdom is justified by all her children” (Luke 7.35). In the battle of the prophets and in the battle of the truth, the results will tell the tale. 

     A pastor once described this battle by comparing to what happens when you give a dog a bath. Anyone who has had to do this knows what happens. You soak the dog with water and soap, and you better move fast. For that dog will only endure this for so long. Eventually he will shake all that water off. In a similar way the false prophets pour out their lies by the bucketful upon the Bible. What they cannot suppress, they twist and reshape to their own liking. But God’s word will only be patient with this for a while. God will raise up His true prophets, His true mouthpieces, and all the nonsense and foolish teachings of unbelievers will be shaken off. Listen to the Jeremiahs of this world who teach repentance in the law, forgiveness in the cross, and new obedience in the Spirit, not to the Hananiahs who teach tolerance of evil, pride of sin, and hide from you the destruction that will follow. Amen. 

Jeremiah 20.7-13 Don't Be Silenced

                                    Don't Be Silenced!

Jeremiah 20.7-13

Immanuel Lutheran Church, Mt. Olive, Illinois June 21, 2026

 

Introduction

 

     A Christian student was sitting in a college psychology class in which the professor said that the Bible was a book of fairytales and should not be taken seriously. After going on about this for several minutes, the student raised his hand and asked, "Have you ever compared the Bible to actual fairy tales? Do fairy tales have historical facts in them such as names and descriptions of real cities, geography, weather, systems of money, roads, maritime, military, and politcal procedures? Do historians use fairy tales to create chronologies, or do archeologists use fairy tales to locate the remains of cities?" The professor was flumexed and quickly returned to the teaching of psychology rather than theology. After the class something very interesting happened. As the students were leaving at least three of them came up to the Christian student and said, "I was thinking the same thing. I'm so glad you spoke up!" 

 

     We all have the temptation to be silenced by those who do not want God's word to be heard or believed. Those who don't believe in God ignore His word, reject it, and even reproach it. Today we are going to see how a prophet of God, Jeremiah, handled those who were trying to silence him in order to keep people from hearing and believing God's word. We will especially see how God gives us grace not only to believe His word for the forgiveness of our sin and our salvation, but we will also see how He strengthens us to speak it faithfully to others so that they might believe and be saved. 

 

1. The World's Reproach Against God and His Word 

 

7 O LORD, you have deceived me, and I was deceived; you are stronger than I, and you have prevailed. I have become a laughingstock all the day; everyone mocks me. 8 For whenever I speak, I cry out, I shout, “Violence and destruction!” For the word of the LORD has become for me a reproach and derision all day long. (Jeremiah 20.7-8)

 

     Jeremiah lived six hundred years before Jesus. He  began serving God as a priest, teaching God's word and leading people in worship. But God called him to be a prophet during the reign of Josiah, the last good king of Judah. After him, all the kings were bad, and they were leading Judah into evil and toward the wrathful judgment of God. Is wasn't long before Jeremiah realized that the task God had given him wasn't what he signed up for. In chapter 20.7 he said to the LORD, "you have deceived me, and I was deceived." The Hebrew word here (pthha) means "to persuade." However the root meaning of this word is "to be simple" or "to be gullible." What Jeremiah was saying is this: "When You called me to be a prophet (1.4-10), I was recluctant, and I told You that I was a youth! You said, 'Do not be afraid... for I am with you..." Now look at the mess I'm in. Your enemies are trying to kill me. This is way more than I bargained for - You 'decieved me!'" Jeremiah was overwhelmed as we certainly would be if we were in his situation. No one likes to get yelled at or threatened, let alone know that people are plotting against your life. 

 

     All of the prophets of the Old Testament faced either strong opposition to the messages that God had given them, or they were ignored. The Israelites rebelled against Moses. Ahab and Jezebel tried to kill Elijah. Isaiah was ignored. Jeremiah was beaten, thrown in stocks, and into a cistern. This why Jesus said, "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!" (Matthew 23.27). 

 

     So what was this prophetic message than no one wanted to hear and for which they got so mad they wanted to kill the prophets? It was the main message of the Bible throughout: Repent of your sins, believe in God's forgiveness and grace, and begin living according to His will. This is the message than stired up so much anger and opposition. It did this in the past, and it still does so today. The Bible calls this opposition "reproach." In Hebrew this means that they didn't just disagree with the prophets, they hated their message and considered it evil and shameful. Because of this they thought that the message of repentance and faith in the grace of God had to be mocked and silenced. There was no tolerance for it. 

 

2. The Temptation to Keep Quiet

 

9 If I say, “I will not mention him, or speak any more in his name,” there is in my heart as it were a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I am weary with holding it in, and I cannot. 10 For I hear many whispering. Terror is on every side! “Denounce him! Let us denounce him!” say all my close friends, watching for my fall. “Perhaps he will be deceived; then we can overcome him and take our revenge on him.” (Jeremiah 20.9-10)

 

     What do we do when people tell us the things we believe from the Bible are fairy tales or worse that they are hateful, bigoted, and evil? The great temptation that we all feel and that Jeremiah felt was to be silent. If people tell us to shut up, we often comply because we don't want to start an argument, and we don't want to become the "skunk at the garden party." Our first thought is that this is not the right time, and in some cases this is true. But we have to remember that in the minds of some people there will never be a "right" time to hear anything from the Bible. They don't want to hear it, and, much worse, they don't want anyone to hear it. When we find ourselves in this situation we must not take the silent approach. 

 

     Jeremiah tried the silent approach, but he could not do it. He said there was "a burning fire shut up" in his bones and he couldn't hold it in. Even though people were whispering and plotting his destruction, he had to speak up for God. We have all been in situations where someone says something that is completely wrong. Often times we just let it go especially when the matter under discussion doesn't really matter that much. But when the discussion is about God and our relationship to Him, we must not lay back and let the unbeliever and God-scoffer hold the floor.  We can't hold the truth of salvation in because we know that this truth does matter. It matters more than anything else in the world. Is God real? Did He give us commandments to show us our sin and the way we must live our lives? Does He love this world, and did He send His Son into this world to suffer and die for it and rise again for the forgiveness of all? Does His Spirit unite with our spirit through His word to give us faith and to transform our lives? Does He hear our prayers for holiness and healing, for faithfulness and endurance in the face of evil? The answer to all these questions is "Yes, yes, and Amen." 

 

3. God's Desire for Us to Speak Up and His Grace to Do So

 

11 But the LORD is with me as a dread warrior. (Jeremiah 20.11a ESV)

 

     God does want everyone to hear what He has promised for their salvation. In Matthew chapter ten Jesus sent the twelve apostles on a mission trip to the villages and towns of Israel to proclaim the kingdom of God. That is short hand for, "Tell them what they need to believe in order to be saved." But Jesus also knew there would be strong resistance. "I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves" (v. 16). God met that resistance with a very special promise: "But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak. For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak; for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you. (vv. 19-20). Jeremiah said it this way: "The LORD is with me as a dread warrior." 

 

     Those who hate God love to use threatening words and violence to accomplish their goal of eliminating any faith in God. But this is never their first step.The first step is to sweet talk people away from God, to speak of peace and love. But it is not the peace and love that comes from the repentance of sin, its forgiveness and living by God's will. It is the peace and love of the acceptance of sin and the denial of God's will. We see that clearly in the denial of marriage, the denial of creation, the denial of human life, the denial of justice for all, the glorification of indecency, and the excusation of indulgence and indolence, and the ultimate false teaching that we can all somehow be happy without God. Jeremiah had already seen this. That is why God had told him in chapter twelve: "Do not believe them, Even though they speak smooth words to you" (v.6). 

 

     When the smooth words fail, the sharp words follow. When the sharp words fail, the sharp knives come out. This is reality. This is why there was a cross on a hill outside of Jerusalem long ago. But "the LORD is with me as a dread warrior." To understand what this means let's go to the next verses in our text. 

 

4. God's Response to the World's Reproach

 

... therefore my persecutors will stumble; they will not overcome me. They will be greatly shamed, for they will not succeed. Their eternal dishonor will never be forgotten. 12 O LORD of hosts, who tests the righteous, who sees the heart and the mind, let me see your vengeance upon them, for to you have I committed my cause. 13 Sing to the LORD; praise the LORD! For he has delivered the life of the needy from the hand of evildoers. (Jeremiah 20.11-13 ESV)

 

     The Christian faith is known for its love. Jesus taught us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. When people come to hurt us because of our faith and in order to drive that faith out of our hearts, we don't respond with violence. This doesn't mean Christians can't defend themselves against those who just want to rob us or hurt us because they are full of hate and sin. Yet even this is done in defense and never in revenge. But when the issue is faith itself, love is our only defense just as Jesus' only defense against those who wanted to silence Him was love. Why is this? Why doesn't God want us to take up weapons to further His kingdom? The first answer is because His kingdom is built on love and forgiveness. Thus the only way we can build it and defend it is on the foundation of love and forgiveness. 

 

     But there is a second answer. There is a second reason, and Jeremiah knows it well. We don't respond to those who hate God and suppress His word with violence because we know what is coming to them when God's patience with them runs out. This is the Bible teaching of judgment. The Bible very clear about this: "I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the sons to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing mercy to the thousands who love Me and keep my commandments" (Exodus 20.5-6). Jeremiah knew that though God had sent him to the wolves, those wolves would not have the last word. Some would believe. Thank God for that. But for the rest, they would meet God, who is "the dread warrior." The book of Revelation John also said that those who hate God and refuse to repent will one day pray for the mountains to fall upon them so that they do not have to face "the wrath of the Lamb" (6.16). 

 

     The truth of God's ultimate judgment upon this world is a great motivator for us to speak up. When we face those who hate God and want to silence us and even crush us if they have to, we just have to remember what they will face one second after they die. They will face the dread warrior, the jealous God, and the wrath of the Lamb. This thought will drive all hatred of them from our hearts and replace it with pity. This thought will cause us, like Abraham, to plead to God for their deliverance just as he prayed for the deliverance of Sodom and Gomorrah. God's love inspires us to love, but His promise of judgment also inspires us to love while there is opportunity. 

 

Conclusion

      Today is Father's Day, and this message based on the ministry of Jeremiah is very fitting for it. God called Jeremiah to say what God wanted all people to hear whether they wanted to hear it or not. What are fathers called to do according to the Bible? They are called to point their children to the ultimate Father - to God the Father. In this world that is never easy. There will be push back. Expect it. You won't always be popular. But do not be silenced, if indeed you really do love God and the children He has allowed you to raise. Talk to them about God's laws and God's love. Bring them to Jesus, to God's beloved Son, whom He gave up for all of us and for our salvation.   Amen. 

The Problem of Worry Romans 5.1-11

Faith Lutheran Church, Beaufort, SC

June 14, 2026

God's Answer to the Problem of Worry 

Romans 5.1-11

 To All Saints in Christ and to All Who Will Become So,

 

     Please turn with me in the Bible to Romans 5 verses 1-11. As you do so, let me prepare you to better understand and appreciate this passage by considering the problem of “worry.” This is a problem that all of us will face at some time in our life. As we consider this passage from St. Paul’s letter to the Romans, I want to ask, “Why Do We Worry?” “Did Jesus Ever Worry?” and “How Can We Overcome the Problem of Worry?”

 

Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; 4 and perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. 6 For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. 10 For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. 11 And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation. (Romans 5.1-11)

 

Why Do We Worry?

 

     I will admit to you that I sometimes struggle with the problem of worry. I worry about whether or not I’m doing what God wants me to do? I worry about my family. I worry about this church and all of you. Sometimes I am incredibly overwhelmed by worry when I’m in a large crowd of people and I begin to wonder what will happen to all these people? Do they believe in God? Do they have faith in Jesus? Sometimes I worry about finances? Sometimes about health? Sometimes I just worry about getting into a traffic accident, or mine subsidence, or whether the sump pump is going to quit on me during a big rain storm? Worry can be a big burden that can crush us. It can cause sleeplessness and stress that can have bad effects on our physical health. Worry is destructive. 

 

     We worry because God created us with the ability to think deeply about the future. Most psychological approaches to the problem of worry say that it is normal to think about the future – and to think about it as both good or bad. The problem is when we focus excessively the possiblities of the bad. The psychological remedy is to look at life reasonably and to conclude that the bad things we really worry about won’t actually happen. But can we really be sure of that? In this world, without God, statistical probability is really our only hope. And we all know that we are not statistics. We are real people, and we face real problems. On the other hand, God really can help us with the problem of worry, and He very much wants to do so. Which brings me to this question...

 

Did Jesus Ever Worry?

 

     The Bible says that Jesus was tempted in every way as we are, yet without sin (Hebrews 4.15). So Jesus worried, but He did so without sin. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said, “Do not worry about your life... Don’t worry about tomorrow for tomorrow will take care of its own things” (Matthew 6.25, 34). But the Bible tells us that He was “troubled and deeply distressed” in the Garden of Gethsemane before He died on the cross (Mark 14.33). Luke tells us that He sweated “great drops of blood” (Luke 22.44). He knew the future, and He knew that His own personal future was bad – He was headed to the cross of suffering and death. But Jesus also knew the good – He knew the suffering would be followed by the resurrection. And this focus on the good – the true good that God guarantees –  is our key to overcoming the problem of worry. 

 

How Can We Overcome the Problem of Worry?

 

     Sometimes you hear people say things like, “It’s all good. Don’t worry. It’s all going to be okay,” as well as the popular song lyrics: “Don’t worry. Be happy.”  Those can be very comforting words, but they can also be very empty words. How can we really be sure that “It’s all good. It’s going to be okay.” This is exactly what St. Paul was speaking about in his letter to the Romans. “Therefore having been justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ... And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” 

 

     It is true that to overcome worry we need to focus on the good that lies in our future more than the bad. But this is not enough. For how can we be sure that the good will prevail over the bad? God is realistic. He tells us that the bad things of this life, past, present and future, are all caused by sin and our failure to live without it. As we heard last week from James, “... desire gives birth to sin; and sin... brings forth death” (James      1.15). But God wants us to see and believe in this ultimate good: He “demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5.8). God has dealt decisively with sin through His Son on the cross. This is what the word “justification” means. The divine judge has so ordered: Case dismissed. The empty tomb of Easter morning is God’s affirmation that the good that comes from Him does in fact prevail over the bad that comes from us. Therefore, “... we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ...” (Romans 5.11). 

 

Three Applications

 

     So how does this apply to the person who is about to lose their job or has just been told that they have cancer? It applies in three ways:

 

     First, I address the problem of sin. Did I do anything directly to bring this trouble into my life? If so, I can ask God for forgiveness for Jesus’ sake. If I did not do anything directly that I can think of to bring on this trouble, I have to remember that I am far from perfect, and that it is not right for me to demand that God always bless me. I have sinned in many ways as has everyone else, and for that reason there are going to be many problems in this life. I still ask God for forgiveness, and I still know that I have it and have peace with Him through Jesus. Even if this problem means great hardship or the end of my life, I know that God loves me and will a save me. I am always assured of that.

 

     Second, after looking to the cross for my forgiveness and to heaven, my ultimate good, I look back to my problem and begin to do something about it. Worry and fear paralyze us. They accomplish nothing and bring about nothing good. Faith and hope activate us. Even though we may be weak, yet in Christ we can be strong. After praying for forgiveness, I continue praying for God’s help. I ask, “Lord, what should I do in this bad situation?” His answer to that prayer is always the same, “Michael, continue steadfast in My word. Follow Jesus.” So I open my Bible and read. I come to church and listen. I seek the help of others who can point me to those places in God’s word that will help the most. God’s word calms my heart, guides my mind, and strengthens me to do what I can in a bad situation.  

 

     Third, I recognize that all crossbearing in life, no matter how it turns out and when approached with faith, will bring out some good somewhere, somehow. Peter did not want Jesus to go to the cross because he was thinking only about the things of this world. Jesus could see things from God’s point of view. Suffering without faith produces nothing but despair and destruction. But suffering with faith will always result in good. Paul said, “tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character hope. Now hope does not disappoint...” (5.3-5). 

 

Conclusion

 

     This is how I overcome the problem of worry:  I fold my hands for prayer. I open my Bible for wisdom. And I roll up my sleeves for work. I stand in grace, and I rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. I have and you have the Father, Son and Holy Spirit – God’s Word, Faith and Salvation! How can the problems of this world that arise from sin and cause us to worry stand before these things!  They cannot. God has guaranteed that that His good will prevail over our troubles. Let me conclude with this little poem by an unknown author. It is titled “Out of the Darkness.”

 

Out of the dark and forbidding soil

    The pure white lilies grow.

Out of the black and murky clouds,

    Descends the stainless snow.

Out of the crawling earth-bound worm

    A butterfly is born.

Out of the somber shrouded night,

    Behold! A golden morn!

Out of the pain and stress of life,

    The peace of God pours down.

Out of the nails – the spear – the cross,

    Redemption – and a crown! 

Matthew 9 The Call of Matthew

 The Call of Matthew, How a Nobody Became a Somebody

Matthew 9.9-13

Sermon for the Second Sunday After Pentecost, June 7, 2026

Immanuel Lutheran Church, Mt. Olive, Illinois

Introduction

 

     All human beings have a desire to be liked by their peers. This is why we care about our appearance, our clothing styles, our hair cuts, and our mannerisms. We care about our status in the community and try to find our place where we can be a somebody whether that be in academics, athletics, the arts, business, clubs, organizations, church, and governments. The internet and social media have added tremendous fuel to the fire of our desire to be liked. Teenages and adults are becoming obsessed with Youtube, Instagram, and Tiktok. And it isn't just knowledge or entertainment they are seeking. It is status. They are paying more and more attention to follower counts, likes and reactions, and algorithmic virality. This leads to constant self-monitorying, the pressure to respond instantly, and the fear of missing out (aka FOMO). Today one single uploaded video can turn a person into a viral star instantly.  Is it evil to seek this kind of popularity? The Tenth Commandment tells us "You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, or his donkey" (Exodus 20.17). Obviously this list is designed to be extended to whatever we might desire so much it might lead us into sin and away from God. Therefore it could include your neighbor's "views, likes, and subscriptions." 

 

     This week we are thinking about one of Jesus' disciples, Matthew. In a way, Jesus and the Bible have made him a person of very high status in the eyes of the world. Billions of people would recognize his name as the guy who wrote the first of the four Gospels. But I want to show you how his conversion to the Christian faith did much more than that. It took him, as it does for all Christians, from being a sad and lost nobody to being a very happy and holy somebody. 

 

The Tax Collector

 

     Matthew was a tax collector. The Bible and history both tell us that tax collectors were not popular people. This is because Israel had been taken over by the Roman empire, and the Romans wanted their percentage of everyone's income. To get this money they employed tax collectors or, "publicani." Every few years the Roman government would auction off "tax rights." The winners would pay the Romans a lump sum of money for the right to be a tax collector, a private contractor working for the government. They were to collect a certain amount of tax that was remitted to Rome, and anything else they collected over that they could keep for profit. Tax collectors were viewed as traitors and collaborators. They were often categorized right along with sinners and prostitutes. Although they were financially wealthy, they were extremely poor socially. They had sold their souls to what the King James Version famously called "filthy lucre" (1 Timothy 3.3). 

 

Matthew's Conversion

 

     Now let's take a look at Matthew's conversion:

 

(KJV) And as Jesus passed forth from thence, he saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he saith unto him, Follow me. And he arose, and followed him. 10 And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples. 11 And when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto his disciples, Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners? 12 But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick. 13 But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. (Matthew 9.9-13)

 

     Why in the world did Matthew drop everything to follow Jesus? Did Jesus put some sort of spiritual power upon him that drew him away from his former life to become a disciple. I don't think so. This never really happens in the Bible. In every conversion there is first the hearing of God's word, then faith, then following. Let's look carefully at what happened. If we go back to Matthew chapter eight Jesus had just cast out demons, and in chapter nine He came to His own town which would have been Capernaum. This was the town Jesus adopted as His own after He was rejected at Nazareth (Luke 4.28ff). There He healed the paralyzed man. Matthew most likely heard of this and probably was in the crowd of people that were gathered to listen to Jesus when this healing occured. No doubt Matthew really paid attention to what Jesus said just before He healed the paralyzed man: "Son, be of good cheer, thy sins are forgiven thee" (Matthew 9.2). 

 

     We would all like to "be of good cheer" wouldn't we? Isn't that really the goal of life? But how? This is where all the trouble starts. Matthew thought he could be of good cheer by becoming wealthy. Temporarily he found cheer as he went over his growing bank accounts and government contracting business. But something was missing. Something wasn't quite right. Others have tried to "be of good cheer" as I said at the beginning by finding success in some corner of life. They look for cheer in their accomplishments and popularity. But wise people know that this doesn't last forever. Our "viral popularity," whatever it is, can be here today and gone tomorrow. 

 

     It was the forgiveness of sins that called Matthew, and we know this by what happened after he began following Jesus. He tells us that "they sat at meat" with Jesus and "publicans and sinners." The pharisees complained about this, which prompted Jesus to lay down His core teaching and purpose of His life and ministry: "(KJV) But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick. 13 But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance" (9.12-13).  They are excellent words for us to memorize this week and to ponder every day. This is what transformed Matthew from a nobody tax collector on the road to perdition to a wonderful somebody in God's kingdom on the road to eternal significance and eternal life. 

 

What This Means for You and Me?

 

     You and I want to "be of good cheer." Isn't this really what life is all about? But how? How can we be of good cheer? Like Matthew we can pursue wealth, or like many people today we could pursue internet "virality" and everything in between. Some of the things that "cheer "us up are inherently sinful such as abusiveness (physical and verbal), manipulation, drugs, laziness, alcohol, sexual promiscuity and on and on. Even unbelievers have recognized how this is a sure path to unhappiness and destruction. Matthew tells us that there were people like this, the sinners and prostitutes, that Jesus cared about and wanted to help. Others may pursue good things such as hard work, family, hobbies, arts, or community improvement. These might cheer us up better than that previous list, but there is still something wrong with these goals by themselves. Hard work comes to an end when we grow older. Family members die. Creativity wanes. Communities face a never ending battle with people that make bad choices and ruin life for themselves and everyone else. This why an honest person finally has to ask themselves: "There's got to be more to life than this?" That is exactly the question that God wants us to ask ourselves. 

 

     Many people don't realize it, but what they are missing in their life is God and His mercy. Jesus quotes the prophet Hosea: "I will have mercy, and not sacrifice." When Hosea and Jesus said God does not desire "sacrifice," they were saying that God does not desire any work that we do, religious or nonreligious, as long as it is done without Him in mind, as long as we are just doing it for ourselves. Instead He desires mercy. Jesus then explains what this means when He said, "for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." God knows that the source of all our discontent is sin and a broken relationship between God and us. Isaiah said that when we pursue life without God it is like a hungry man who dreams that he is eating. Yet when he wakes "his soul is empty" (29.8). An in another place the Bible says, "He who sows iniquity will reap sorrow" (Proverbs 22.8). And, "The wages of sin is death" (Romans 6.23). 

 

     Our world does not want to admit it, but the real problem deep down inside of all of us is guilt. The world avoids guilt by denying it, projecting it on others, or covering it up. This is a mistake. It is good to have guilty feelings. It is true that some guilty feelings are false, and these need to be sorted out. This is one of the reasons the Lutheran church still practices private confession and absolution. But real guilty feelings are not a sign of evil, they are the sign of the work of the Holy Spirit in us. The Apostle Paul said, "For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death" (2 Corinthians 7.10).  Jesus said that when the Spirit comes, "He will convict the world of sin" (John 16.8). This is the beginning of all healing, and this is why Jesus said, "I have come not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." 

 

Conclusion

 

     When we choose sin or ignore it, we are on the path to become the ultimate "nobody." No matter how "viral" we think we might be, we are actually dying. Do you know where the word "viral" comes from? "Viral" comes from the word "virus." A virus is a rapidly growing infection that will destroy us if not checked and healed. Matthew figured this out. He knew that increasing wealth or earthly happiness was not the path to true joy but the path to death. He left that tax office to follow Jesus, to be healed by His mercy and forgiveness. That is how Matthew became a somebody who would be remembered forever. That is also how you and I become somebodies whose names are written in the Book of Life also to be remembered by God forever. Amen.