Dear Christian friends:

If you see me go into a restaurant with a deaf peddler and eat with him and visit with him, what would you think about me? Perhaps you will think: "Hauptman should not eat with crooks and sinners. He should not associate with such bad people."

In our text we read that Jesus did eat with crooks and bad people one day. (verse 10) And the Jewish church leaders did not like that and criticized Jesus about that. (verse 11) But Jesus showed them that they were wrong to think like that. He showed that He is a friend of sinners.


We all should be glad and rejoice to see that Jesus is a friend of sinners. Why? We are sinners too! If Jesus is not a friend of sinners it's too bad for you and me. We can't be saved! We can't go to heaven! Then we must go to hell!

St. Paul said, "Here is a true saying, and all people should accept it, Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; among them I am chief sinner." (1 Timothy 1:15) Thank God that Jesus is a friend of sinners! Thank God that Jesus came into the world to save sinners! Don't be proud and self-righteous! Confess with St. Paul that you are a sinner. Yes, we must humbly and with shame and sorrow confess with St. Paul that we are chief among sinners!

The Bible teaches that all people are sinners. (Romans 3:23 and Psalm 14:1-3) Some know it and confess it, but many deny it and refuse to confess it. Or some think they are better than others, like these Jewish Pharisees in our text. Jesus says, "I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." (verse 13)

In our text we read that Jesus called a man named Matthew to repent. (verse 9) Matthew was a crooked tax collector. The Pharisees and other church leaders despised the tax collectors because they always cheated when they collected the taxes. They taxed people more than the Roman law allowed. The extra money they kept for themselves. The Pharisees would not permit a tax collector to be a member of the church. It is true that Matthew and the other tax collectors were crooks and sinners, but they were not worse than the Pharisees and other church members. When Jesus taught and preached he often showed the Pharisees that they were crooks, too, and hypocrites. Matthew confessed his sins and quit his crooked job when Jesus called him. He repented, but the Pharisees refused to confess their sins and quit their wrong ways. They did not repent.

Today Jesus calls each one of us to confess that we are sinners and repent as Matthew did, and believe in him for our only Savior. Jesus calls each one of us individually through baptism. He calls our name so that we will not doubt His love and mercy, but believe and rejoice.

In our text we read that Jesus went to Matthew's house to have dinner with him and other tax collectors and other sinners. We, too, can have close fellowship with Jesus by coming to His Holy Supper, the Lord's Supper, to eat and drink with Him. In the Holy Supper Jesus guarantees to you and me that He loves and forgives sinners through His body and blood which He gave and shed upon the cross for all sinners.

Yes, Jesus is the friend of sinners, and He wants us to be a friend to sinners also. We should be humble and visit with other sinners and invite them to come and meet Jesus.

That's what Matthew did. When he accepted Jesus for his Savior and quit his crooked job he became one of Jesus' disciples. (verse 9) And he did not despise the other tax collectors and sinners. He did not think himself better than they. He prepared a big dinner at his house. Then he invited all the tax collectors and sinners to come to his house for dinner. He also invited Jesus to come to dinner. Matthew wanted the tax collectors and other sinners to meet Jesus and learn that He is the Friend and Savior for sinners. Matthew, like Jesus, was a friend of sinners and showed mercy and kindness to them.

So Jesus wants us to be a friend to sinners and show love, mercy and kind kindness to them, the same as Jesus has showed love, mercy and kindness to us. Perhaps you know some deaf who are not Christians. Perhaps they are classmates or fellow workers. Show love and kindness to them. Prepare a dinner, like Matthew, and invite them to your home. Tell them about Jesus the Friend of sinners. If you feel you can't tell them, invite the pastor to come to your dinner. In that way they will have opportunity to meet Jesus. Some of our members have done this and are doing it. I hope more of our members will do this.

Perhaps you know a deaf person who is in trouble or has a problem. Perhaps he or she is not a Christian. Show love and kindness to that person. Volunteer to help that person in his trouble or problem. Be ready to forgive him. Show that you are a friend of Jesus, and perhaps that person will want to become a friend of Jesus like you.

Yes, Jesus is the Friend of sinners, and he wants us to be a friend of sinners also. If we daily remember that we are sinners ourselves who have received God's love and kindness in Jesus, then we will be able to show love and kindness to others. But if we are proud and self-righteous and think ourselves better than others, like the Pharisees, then we will not be a friend to sinners. We can't be, because we really don't know Jesus, the Friend of sinners.

O God, help us all to remember that we are sinners and that Jesus nevertheless is our Friend, that we may be a true friend of other sinners.

Amen.