(Matt 9:9-13) （太9:9-13）  

Today, I have a quiz for you, let’s look at the screen: 今天，我给大家做一个小测试，请看屏幕： 

1, Do you know who is the one through whom we are blessed by givingus the first of the four gospels? 你知道神借着谁写了四福音中的第一卷书来祝福我们？Matthew.马太。 

2, Who is Matthew? 马太是谁? One of the Twelves (disciples). 十二门徒之一 

3, Do you know what his previous job was? 你知道他以前做什么工作吗? Tax collector税吏 

Yes, the apostle Matthew was a tax collector. 是的，使徒马太曾是个税吏。Do you know what a tax collector did in Jesus’ day? 你知道在耶稣的日子税吏都做什么吗？A Jewish man collected taxes from his own people on behalf of the Roman government. 一个犹太人代表罗马政府向自己本国的人民收税。Moreover, 此外，tax collectors collected more money from people than the required revenue by the Roman government as their own cut. 税吏从国人征收的税款比罗马政府规定的税款要多，多出来的就归他们自己。 Because of their corrupt, greedy and abusive actions, 因他们的腐败、贪婪和滥用职权，they were considered as “legal robbers” and “covenant-breakers”, 他们被认为是“合法的强盗”和“背约者”，which is why “tax-collectors” are called “sinners” in the bible. 这就是为什么“税吏”在圣经中被称为“罪人”。 

1. The calling of Matthew. (v. 9:9) 呼召马太（9章9节） 

In the bible Matthew is also known as Levi (Mark 2:14), 圣经中，马太也被称为利未 (可2:14)，but he described himself as “Matthew the tax collector”(Matthew 10:3). 但他称自己是“税吏马太”(太10:3)。Matthew didn’t pretend that he was a good man, 马太没有假装自己是个好人，rather, he publicly confessed that he was a tax collector, 而是公开承认自己是个税吏，a sinner. 在人眼中是个罪人。How would you describe yourself? 你如何描述你自己？Are you afraid of being labelled as a sinner? 你害怕被贴上罪人的标签吗？Feeling ashamed?你会感到羞耻吗？Actually, It doesn’t matter who we were, 我们曾经是谁并不重要，the matter is who we are in Christ, 重要的是我们在基督里是谁，and how deep or how far we follow Jesus. 以及我们跟随耶稣有多深、有多远。 V,9 As 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. 【太9:9】耶稣从那里往前走，看见一个人名叫马太，坐在税关上，就对他说：“你跟从我来。”他就起来，跟从了耶稣。 

Matthew was called by Jesus. 马太被主耶稣呼召。 “Follow me” Jesus said to Matthew. 耶稣对马太说，“你来跟从我。”Christians are called. 基督徒是被主呼召的。Followers are called! 跟从的人是被主呼召的。It’s not we who choose Jesus. 不是我们选择了耶稣。But Jesus chooses us! 而是耶稣选择了我们！This is the real honor that we are called by the sovereign God. 能被权能神呼召那才是真正的荣耀。Jesus didn’t call Matthew because he was good enough, 耶稣呼召马太不是因为他够好，rather, he was a greedy, selfish and dishonest sinner. 相反，他是一个贪婪、自私又诡诈的罪人。Yet Jesus called him to be His apostle -但耶稣仍呼召他成为祂的使徒- one of the leaders in Jesus’ team. 耶稣团队的领袖之一。You may say你可能会说: “I’m not good enough…”“我不够好……” But Jesus didn’t come for those who thought that they were already good enough. 但耶稣来，并不是为那些自认为够好的人。The bible tells us圣经告诉我们，that not many of us were wise by human standards, not many were influential; not many were of noble birth…God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong…so that no one may boast before God (1 Cor 1:22-29). 我们当中按着肉体有智慧的不多，有能力的不多，有尊贵的也不多......神拣选了世上软弱的，使那些刚强的羞愧......使一切有血气的，在神面前一个也不能自夸。(哥林多前书1:22-29)。 It’s God’s salvation that turns our lives around, never our own goodness. 是神的拯救翻转了我们的生命，并不是我们自己好。 

When Jesus calls you, 当耶稣呼召你的时候，He knows all about your past and your future! 祂知道你的一切过去和将来！Jesus knows your weaknesses and your failures and successes! 耶稣知道你的软弱、你的失败和成功！The key for your life to be turned around使你生命翻转的关键 is your faith in obedience to following Jesus and His truth. 在乎你对顺服耶稣和祂真理的信心。Just Like Matthew.如同马太。Paul once imprisoned and persecuted Christians, 保罗曾囚禁和迫害基督徒，but after receiving the call of Jesus, 但在接受耶稣的呼召后，he became one of the most influential saints in God’s kingdom. 他成为神国度中最有影响力的圣徒之一。Through Paul, thirty（thirteen?） of the 21 epistles in the NT were given to us. 新约21封书信中，有13封是神借保罗赐给我们的。 The apostle testifies in 1 Timothy 1:15, 他在提摩太前书1:15中如此见证：Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. 【提前1:15】“基督耶稣降世，为要拯救罪人。”这话是可信的，是十分可佩服的。在罪人中我是个罪魁。In other words, 换句话说，Paul was saying保罗在说  that he wasn’t good enough to be saved他得救不是因为够好，but bad enough.而是因为够坏。That’s our hope这是我们的盼望，our hope is in Jesus! 我们的盼望在基督里。Not in our own goodness不是因自己的好。Through the transformative power of the gospel, 借着福音更新的大能，Paul became an influential apostle of Jesus保罗成为耶稣有影响力的使徒and spread the gospel to the gentiles. 将福音传给外邦人。 

We are also all called by Jesus, “Follow me”. 我们也都被主耶稣呼召说“你来跟从我”。What does “follow Jesus” mean? “你来跟从我”到底是什么意思？In Mark 8:34 we are told, “then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “if anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” 【可8:34】于是，叫众人和门徒来，对他们说：“若有人要跟从我，就当舍己，背起他的十字架，来跟从我。And in Matthew 10:38,It says, “whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me.”【太10:38】不背着他的十字架跟从我的，也不配作我的门徒。 

To be His true disciples, 要做祂的真门徒，we aren’t called to affirm the old self我们不是被呼召去肯定旧人，or feed the-self to make it happy, 也不是去喂养它，让它舒服，for the old self loves human approval, honour, comfort more than it loves Jesus. 因为旧人喜爱从人来的认同、荣耀、安慰，胜过爱耶稣。That’s why whenever we hear anything that we don’t want to hear; 这就是为什么每当我们听到自己不爱听的话，the old self immediately turns to be unhappy旧人立刻就会不高兴，or offended or angry, 感到被冒犯、生气，or tries to revenge或要去报复，by speaking against others说别人坏话 or whatever makes it feel better. 或做别的事让自己感觉舒服一点。 

Jesus knows what the obstacle is, that lies before us to hind us from being united with Him.耶稣知道挡在我们面前，叫我们无法与主合一的拦阻是什么。 It’s not the devil, but the old self and its passion and desires.不是魔鬼，而是旧人和旧人的邪情私欲。Therefore, Jesus calls us to follow Him by killing the self, 因此，耶稣召我们跟随他，治死老我，and not to feed it but to deny it.不喂养肉体，而是舍己。This is God’s way of saving our souls.这是神救我们灵魂的方式。 

However, did Matthew really know this in the beginning? 但是，马太一开始就知道吗？ I don’t think so.我想他不知道。Otherwise, in following Jesus, 否则，在跟随耶稣的路上，the disciples would not have argued about who was the greatest (see Mark 9:34).门徒就不会争论谁为大（马可福音9：34）。 In fact, they were totally opposite to denying the self by exalting the self. 事实上，他们高举自己，完全走了相反的路。But faith is a journey not a destination. 但信 是一个过程，不是终点。 It’s all about God’s grace and our willingness of how far we want to follow. 完全在乎神的恩典和我们愿意与主同行到多远。 Our faith in Jesus from beginning to end, is a progressive journey. 我们对耶稣的信心从头到尾都是一个渐进的旅程。This faith only requires us to live up to what we have already attained (see Philippians 3:16).这种信心只要求我们到了什么地步，就当照着什么地步行 (见腓立比书3：16)。faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Chris.信道是从听道来的，听道是从基督的话来的。 

In those day, no man could live in that town without hearing about what Jesus was doing.那时候，在那地，人不可能不知道耶稣在城里所作的事。 The lepers were cleansed, 大麻疯洁净，the demon possessed people were cured, 鬼附的被医治，the blind received their sight, 瞎子看见，the lame walked, 瘸子行走，and the dead were brought back to life. 死人复活。People were amazed at the authority Jesus had, 众人都希奇耶稣的权柄，even the winds and the waves obeyed him. 连风浪也听从他。Matthew heard about the call of Jesus马太听见了耶稣的呼召 he had the original conviction and followed Jesus.得着了最初的信心，就跟从了耶稣。 But we are also told in Hebrew 3:14, 希伯来书3:14中也说道：“we have come to  share in Christ, if indeed we hold we original conviction firmly to the very end. “我们若将起初确实的信心坚持到底，就在基督里有分了。” Faith is a lifelong journey that we are gonna continue to say “yes” to Jesus and say “no” to the self. 持续耶稣说“是”、对老我说“不”， 是持续一生的旅程， 

 v.10 While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples.当耶稣在马太家坐席的时候，许多税吏和罪人来和耶稣及门徒一起吃饭。 11 When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?11法利赛人看见这事，就问门徒说，你们的夫子为甚麽与税吏和罪人同吃呢？” 

 Interestingly, the Pharisees were the teachers of the OT, 有意思的是 法利赛人是旧约中的教师，and they taught people the way to God by observing the law.他们教导人用遵守律法的方式来寻求神。But they missed out the most important point that God’s intention wasn’t to ask sinners to do anything good in their own strength, 但他们忽略了最重要的一点，神的意思不是要罪人靠自己做什么好事，but to call sinners to repentance.乃是来召罪人悔改。And Jesus wants a relationship with sinners!而且耶稣想和罪人建立关系！For Jesus loves the lost!因为耶稣爱失丧的人！ 

So v.10-11 we see that Jesus ate and drank with sinners.所以在10-11节我们看见耶稣和罪人一同吃喝。 Also, Jesus ate and drank with the religious people too. 耶稣也和宗教人士一起吃喝。Are you afraid of hanging out with religious people?你害怕和别的宗教人士结交吗？Are you afraid of eating or drinking with Muslims or Buddhists or Hindus?你害怕和穆斯林、佛教徒或印度教徒一起吃饭或喝酒吗？here, Jesus was criticized by those who misunderstood God’s mercy.这里，耶稣受到那些误解神恩典和怜恤的人的指摘。This reminds us that as followers we need to prepare ourselves, 这也提醒我们作为他的跟随者，要预备好自己，for there will be times of criticism因为在信心路上会受人批评, times of being misunderstood,会受人误解，times of contempt, 会被人藐视，and times of celebration. 但也会有欢呼。 

2,Jesus desires mercy, not sacrifice. 耶稣，喜爱怜恤，不喜爱祭祀。 

 (v.12-13) 12 On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 耶稣听见，就说：“康健的人用不着医生，有病的人才用的着。我来，本不是召义人，乃是召罪人” 

Jesus made it clear that He had “come to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10). 耶稣说得很清楚，他“来为要寻找，拯救失丧的人”(路加福音19：10)。 Jesus considered sin to be a sickness. 耶稣认为罪是一种疾病。In Jesus eyes people are sick, nations are sick because of sin.在耶稣眼中，列族，列国都是因罪而得病。 The story of Cain illustrates the progression of sin, depression, self-righteousness, and death without repentance in faith in God’s mercy.该隐的故事告诉我们，若没有信神的怜悯而悔改，人是怎样一步步从罪到沮丧，到自义，最后走向死亡的。When God rejected Cain’s offering, 当上帝拒绝该隐的献祭时，his face ‘fell’, 他变了脸色，he was angry and depressed.他愤怒而沮丧。 God graciously warned him to repent, 神仁慈地警告他要悔改： “If you do well, will you not be accepted?你若行得好，岂不蒙悦纳？” If you don’t do well, sin lies at the door, 你若行得不好，罪就伏在门前。it desires to have you, but you must master it.它必恋慕你，你却要制伏它。” God also kindly reminded him that failure to repent would cause him to fall even deeper into the bondage of sin. 神也善意地提醒他，若不悔改，他就会陷入更深的罪的捆绑中。 Cain failed to listen, 该隐不听，and he was captured by hatred and became a murderer and killed his brother.就被仇恨网罗，成了杀人犯，杀了他的兄弟。 So in 1 John 2:11, 所以在约一2：11，But anyone who hates a brother or sister is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness.唯独恨弟兄的，是在黑暗里，且在黑暗里行。 They do not know where they are going, because the darkness has blinded them.也不知道往哪里去，因为黑暗叫他们眼睛瞎了。 

Blindness is a sickness. 眼瞎是一种病。The world is morally and spiritually sick.这个世界从道德和灵里都是不健康的。Pride causes rejection, anger, bitterness, unforgiveness. 骄傲导致拒绝，愤怒，苦毒，不饶恕。Past pain like Cain’s who felt that he was wronged blinds us to see reality. 感到伤害，就如该隐因感到被冤枉而受伤，使我们眼瞎，看不到真相。People turn to alcohol, drugs, sexuality, pornography, or money or fame, 人们转向酒精、毒品、性、色情、金钱，名望，or whatever in this world gives a moment of pleasure or security, 和一切世上能带给他们快乐或安全感的东西，but it can’t satisfy their souls, 但这些不能满足他们的灵魂，instead, it makes them even more sick and feel emptier and more lost. 相反，这使他们病的更重，更空虚，更失落。Jesus came to call sinners to repentance so that their souls could be made whole. 耶稣呼召罪人悔改，使他们的生命得着完全。 

He quoted Hosea 6:6 to restate God’s heart for His people, 他引用何西阿书6：6为上帝的子民再次说明上帝的心意，that God desired mercy, not sacrifice. 神喜爱怜恤，不喜爱祭祀。He won’t accept sacrifices like Cain’s who offered what he had gained by labour from the soil in his own strength and his own will. 神不悦纳该隐的祭，因他献上的是照他自己的意思和靠自己力量得来的土产。 

Cain thought that he was good and right, 该隐以为自己这么做是好的，是对的，so that he failed to listen to God’s judgement and repent from pride and self-righteousness. 就没有听从神的判断，没有为骄傲和自义悔改。  “There is a way that seems right to man, but in the end it leads to death” Pro16:25 “有一条路，人以为正，至终成为死亡之路”引（箴言16：25） 

Recently I read a testimony 最近，我读到了一个见证，from a brother who testified that he couldn’t get free from sexual sin over many years, 有一位弟兄多年来被情欲捆绑，even though he had prayed countless times during those years for deliverance. 尽管他在那些年里曾多次祈祷求释放。Eventually, he realised that the real root of sexual sin was pride. 最终，他认识到性犯罪的真正根源是骄傲。Pride kept him under the power of pain. 骄傲把他困在伤害的权势下。 

Pain nurtured bitterness and lies against the truth. 伤害生出苦毒和谎言抵挡真理。But once he started to follow Jesus in repenting of his own sins humbly, 当他开始以悔改自己来谦卑跟随耶稣，he was set free and walked in greater freedom. 他就得了释放，可以极自由的跟随主。Pride perverts. 骄傲使人歪曲。I’ve witnessed some cases我看见一些案例, where people allow pride to manipulate the wounds, 当人应许骄傲操纵里面的伤害 “I’m wronged我被冤枉了…he hurt me是他伤害我…I forgive him but我饶恕他但是…”, when they constantly feed the self with lies without true repentance 当人不肯真悔改并不断的给老自己喂养谎言, they start to call light darkness他们开始以光为暗, darkness light暗为光, and they put sweet for bitter and put bitter for sweet以苦为甜，以甜为苦. If we allow pride to manipulate the wounds若我们让骄傲控制伤害, we will be drawn to seek comfort in sin, or in following our own ways.   

我们就会在罪中去寻求安慰，或者照着自己的意思去行。Then, although we may read the bible, we feel bored, 这样 虽然我们读经，但我们觉得枯干，we read it as a religious duty, 读经成为一种宗教责任，we go to church as a religious duty, 去教会也成为宗教责任，we serve in the church as a religious duty. 把服事也当成责任。This is not what Jesus desires! 这不是主耶稣想要的！He says, 他说，“The sick needs a doctor…” “有病的人才用的着（医生The Lord says “I desire mercy, not sacrifice…” 主说，我喜爱怜恤，不喜爱祭祀...You think that you’ve sacrifice your time, your energy or your money to Jesus, 你认为你已经献上了你的时间，精力或金钱给耶稣，you have done all these religious stuffs, but it’s not what Jesus desires! 你已经做了所有这些宗教的事，但这并不是主耶稣要的！Jesus says, 主耶稣说：“I desire mercy! 我喜爱怜恤！I want to heal you! 我想要医治你！I want you to be united with my wholeness我愿你能与我的完全联合I want you to be united with my joy peace and love我愿你能与我的喜乐，平安，爱联合…so that you won’t be overwhelmed by negative emotions, like fear, anxiety, anger, resentment in your circumstances…因此你就不易在环境里被负面情绪掌控，被惧怕、焦虑、愤怒，怨恨掌控… 

God’s mercy is unchangeable! 神的怜悯永不改变！He wants to show mercy to us! 他要施行怜悯！He wants to deliver us and transform us deeply into His image through our ongoing repentance! 借着持续的认罪悔改，祂要拯救我们，彻底改变我们，使我们有祂的形象！we need to continually turn from the will of the self to Jesus!  那就要我们不断的从自己的意思转向耶稣！ 

Last Monday, when I had just come back to CHCH, 上周一，当我刚刚回到基督城时，in the morning I had a dream, 那天早上我做了一个梦，in which I saw a leader of a church who is connected to the Thursday’ bible group had been holding rebellious thoughts against her leader, 在梦里我看到一个连于周四查经小组的一个教会的同工，心里很多悖逆不服她牧人的意念，because she felt wronged. 因她总觉得自己委屈。And she didn’t realise that she had opened a door for the enemy to attack her. 她没有意识到她已经为敌人打开了一扇门来攻击她。Then, I saw her falling down and rolling over on the ground, 然后，梦里我看到她倒在地上不停地打滚，and she couldn’t get away from the control of the evil power. 无法摆脱邪恶势力的控制。 

The dream was over. 梦就结束了。I prayed and texted her for confirmation for I knew nothing about what was going on in her life. 我祷告并发短信向她确认，因为我对她生命中发生的事情一无所知。The other day, she told me,  后来她告诉我，“Yes, I’ve been rebelling against lots of people in my heart, my husband, mum and mother in law, and preachers...” 是的，在我心里悖逆许多的人，丈夫，妈妈，婆婆，传道人...”She said, 她说，““now I’ve confessed and turned from my own pride to God’s truth, 现在我已经认罪，并从我自己的骄傲转向神的真理，and I will continue to repent, 我会继续认罪悔改，for the consequences of rebellion are terrible…”因为悖逆的后果太可怕的.... She asked me她问我，“Is this God’s way of warning me how terrible it is if I continue to walk in that way?” ”这是不是神在警告我，若我继续那样下去，后果会有多严重吗？Yes! 是！This is God’s mercy to deliver her from being trapped under the control of the evil one. 这就是上帝的怜悯，拯救她脱离黑暗势力的捆绑。 

Mercy means getting what we don’t deserve! 怜悯的含义是我们得着不配得着的！No one deserves for Jesus to shed His blood for redemption. 没有人配得主耶稣为我们得救而流血。 Jesus’ mercy for us is to find true righteousness in Him. 耶稣给我们的怜悯就是要我们在基督里找到真正的公义。Pretending that we are good enough causes us to remain self-righteous and to label people. 假装自己还不错，会使我们自以为是并且对别人贴标签、论断他人。But receiving mercy through confessing our weakness, 但是，通过承认我们里面的软弱而得到怜悯，and being merciful to others heals our souls, 并怜悯他人，能使我们的灵魂得治愈，for mercy doesn’t save the self but denies the self. 怜悯不是体恤“老我”而是要否定“老我”。 

When Jesus was hanging on the cross当耶稣被挂在木头上，he didn’t show mercy to himself but to us – His enemies. 他没有怜悯自己，而是怜悯我们这些与祂为仇的人。His crucifixion demonstrated that showing mercy doesn’t save the self but denies the self. 耶稣钉十字架显明了施行怜悯是不能救自己，而是舍自己。 

We are called to be merciful, just as our Father who is merciful. 神呼召我们当怜悯，象天父一样的怜悯 Mercy triumphs over judgment (James 2:13b).  怜悯原是向审判夸胜（雅2：13下） 

Are you walking in the way of saving the self,你是否正走在救老自己的路上，so that you feel burdened to be Christians?所以你觉得做基督徒好难？ Are you walking in the way of comforting the self, 你是否正走在叫老自己舒服的路上 ，so that you feel hard to be merciful to others? 因此你觉得怜悯人好难？ Are you tired of pretending that you are ok,你是否因假装自己ok,  but actually you are feeling heavy in your soul而灵魂里觉得沉重？ 

Jesus is calling the sinners to repentance in His mercy, 耶稣正在以怜悯呼召罪人悔改，“It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 健康的人不需要医生，有病的才需要医生。Turn to Him, and He will turn to you. 转向祂，祂必转向你。 

The good news for us is that we can run to His mercy anytime, 对我们来说，这好消息是我们可以奔向他，and say, 我们说，“Lord, forgive me and renew me…”“主啊，请赦免我，更新我......” “Lord, I forgive them主，我饶恕他…because you forgive me…因你饶恕了我…guide me to be merciful, 引导我成为怜恤人的人，because You are merciful…”因你是怜恤… 

“I desire mercy, not sacrifice! ”我喜爱怜恤，不喜爱祭祀…