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Today, we’re continuing on in the Gospel of Matthew, where Jesus is in the midst of His incarnational ministry. Today, we read about how He called one of His disciples and how the religious leaders of that time judged Him for it. By taking a look at this passage of God’s Word, we can learn how to avoid having this judgemental attitude that the religious leaders of that time struggled with.
Jesus Calls Matthew
9 As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him.
10 And as Jesus[a] reclined at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and his disciples. 11 And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” 12 But when he heard it, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 13 Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.
Today, we’re continuing on in the Gospel of Matthew, where Jesus is in the midst of His incarnational ministry. Today, we read about how He called one of His disciples and how the religious leaders of that time judged Him for it. By taking a look at this passage of God’s Word, we can learn how to avoid having this judgemental attitude that the religious leaders of that time struggled with.
To avoid having a judgemental attitude, we must realize:
1. God wants a saving relationship with everyone
Matt. 9:9, 11:28-29, 2 Pet. 3:9, 1 Tim. 2:4, Rev. 3:20, John 3:16-17, Rom. 5:8
2. A variety of backgrounds is good for God’s Kingdom
Matt. 9:10, 28:19-20, Rev. 7:9, 1 Cor. 3:6-8, 9:20-22, 12:4-11, Rom. 12:4-8
3. Our own need for salvation
Matt. 9:11-13, Rom. 3:23, 12:16, Ecc. 7:20, 1 John 1:8-10, John 14:6
4. A judgemental attitude is a tactic of the enemy
Matt. 9:11-13, 7:1-5, Luke 6:37, Rom. 2:1-2, James 4:11-12
5. God doesn’t want us to just go through the motions
Matt. 9:13, Ps. 51:16-17, 1 Sam. 15:22-23, Is. 1:15-16, Mal. 1:10
6. God is the ultimate judge, so we don’t have to be
Rom. 14:10-13, 2:2, 1 Cor. 4:3-5, Is. 33:22, 2 Cor. 5:10
7. We need God’s help to maintain the joy of our salvation
Ps. 51:12-15, 1 Pet. 1:8-9, Hab. 3:18-19, Ps. 32:1, John 15:11
Reflecting on God’s Word
Getting Started
- Take some time to read over Matthew 9:9-13 and pray.
- Have you ever read or heard about this before? What stood out to you as we were talking about it?
- What surprised you as we talked about it?
- Be honest with yourself: how often do you find yourself struggling with having a judgemental attitude? What leads you to having a judgemental attitude?
- To what group(s) of people or individuals do you most often have a judgemental attitude towards? Why do you think that is?
- Take some time in prayer, specifically asking God to help you to have a less judgemental attitude towards others.
Diving In
- Read Matthew 9:9-10 again. It’s interesting that after Jesus calls Matthew to follow Him, He then has the opportunity to sit down with many other sinners. It doesn’t take too much thinking to realize that having Matthew follow Him opened up Jesus to several other relationships, with a variety of people He probably wouldn’t have had an opportunity with, if He didn’t call Matthew in the first place. This leads us to realize that everyone has unique networks and opportunities to spread the Gospel with those around them, and because of that, it is good to have a variety of people in God’s Kingdom. More networks, leads to more opportunities to spread the Gospel. Who has God put in your life that you have the unique opportunity to share the Gospel with, and what kinds of networks could those people open up if they become a believer and start spreading the Gospel?
- Have you ever fallen into the same trap of having a judgemental attitude towards others, simply because of the people that they are surrounded by? Why?
- What kind of Kingdom impact could you have if you were less judgemental towards people because of who they are surrounded by? What kinds of people could be reached with the Gospel?
- How can you help other believers to be less judgemental towards others?
- Take some time in prayer and ask God to reveal any judgemental attitude that you may struggle with. Write down what you feel God is leading you towards.
Applying the Scripture
What are your biggest takeaways from this passage of God’s Word?
- What practical step(s) do you need to implement in your life to apply what God has taught you in this passage of Scripture?
- How would applying this affect your life and your relationship with the Lord?
- Who can you ask to keep you accountable to applying this to your life?
Small Group Guide:
Open with prayer.
Go around and give everyone a chance to share about how the past week has been. What’s one highlight? What’s one lowlight?
If your small group has talked about it before, feel free to use this time to hold people accountable to what they’ve asked to be held accountable for previously, and go through the “missional” part of this discussion guide.
Prayer Time:
Pray for each other in your small group to be faithful take the step(s) that you shared above. Pray for each other and the interactions that they have with those who don’t know Jesus. Pray that God would soften the people’s hearts to what He has for them. Pray that God would give everyone opportunities to share the Gospel.
Staying Missional:
Share spiritual/missional conversations you’ve had where you live, work, and play:
Who did you have a conversation with that took a spiritual/missional turn this week?
What questions did you ask to discover where God is at work in their life, even if they are not aware?
How were you able to share your story of life change or how you have experienced Jesus?
How can you be intentional this week with people where you live, work, and play to have spiritual/missional conversations if the opportunity arises?
Who in your life do you think could be discipleable or open to spiritual/missional conversations?
What’s next?
Discuss the next step for your small group. When will we gather again and what purpose will it fulfill?