A Soul-Searching Walk Alongside Jesus, Part 1

Imagine what it was like for the disciples to walk alongside Jesus in real time.

They had the privilege of watching him encounter people at their deepest point of need. Jesus cast out demons. The paralyzed man gave Grace to a tax collector today on Insight for living.

Chuck Swindoll continues our study through the gospel according to Matthew, we come to the ninth chapter of Matthew recorded a sequence of remarkable events that shape our love and respect Jesus will begin by reading the passage together and then Chuck presents his message titled of soul searching walk alongside Jesus you brought the Bible with you. Please turn to Matthew the ninth chapter and when you do you will find in your worship folder and outline that will help keep you and be bold on on message so that we don't wander through this important journey. We want to walk alongside Jesus would use our imagination. Some in the process as we relive the scene that is recorded in Matthew nine verses 1 to 13 Jesus climbed into a boat and went back across the lake to his own town. Some people brought to him a paralyzed man on a mat seeing their faith. Jesus said to the paralyzed man be encouraged. My child, your sins are forgiven, but some of the teachers of religious law said to themselves. That's blasphemy. Does he think he's God. Jesus knew what they were thinking. So he asked them what you have such evil thoughts in your heart is, is it easier to say, your sins are forgiven or stand up and walk so I will prove to you that the Son of Man has the authority on earth to forgive sins. Then Jesus turned to the paralyzed man and said, stand up, pick up your mat and go whole and the man jumped up and went home. Fear swept through the crowd as they saw this happen and they praised God for sending a man with such great authority as Jesus was walking along, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at his tax collectors boot follow me and be my disciple Jesus said to him, so Matthew got up and followed him.

Later, Matthew invited Jesus and his disciples to his home as dinner guests along with many tax collectors and other disreputable sinners. But when the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples what is your teacher eat with such scum.

When Jesus heard this, he said healthy people don't need a doctor. Sick people do.

Then he added, not go and learn the meaning of this scripture. I want you to show mercy not offer sacrifices for I've come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners listening to Insight for living to study the book of Matthew with Chuck Swindoll.

Be sure to download his searching the Scriptures study by going to Insight world.org/studies another message from Chuck titled a soul searching walk alongside Jesus.

Imagination is a wonderful thing. Something about it. It can transport you from the very familiar surroundings to places far away places with strange sounding name places you may never go in your entire lifetime, but you're there thanks the imagination, you can be beside those that you have applied for years from a distant, who died just centuries ago, and you can almost hear their voices and see them in action and feel how they must've felt one of the most intriguing books in my library is entitled a sense of history. It begins with a 36 page introductory chapter titled I wish I'd been there.

The scholars the authors the historians who participate in that writing a chapter name places in American history where they would love to have been in years past. For example, and listen. Imagination, I would like to have been among the small company of sailors in the moonlit predawn moment. October 12 1492, when a lookout aboard a small vessel hailed the sand clips of an island never over.

Never before seen by the eyes of European and I rushed to the ship's rail Christopher Columbus with Christopher Columbus. I wouldn't sensed his trial and shared in the joy and amazement of his companions. Here's another. I would love to have been there when we declared our independence on that warm sunny day in Philadelphia, July 8, 1776 as the proclamation was made in the document was read another member of the Lewis and Clark expedition to confront unspoiled nature in a way that will never again be possible on this planet yet another I would love to have been there at Lincoln's farewell to his neighbors in Springfield, Illinois, and that intimate moment, the President-elect spoke of his facing a task greater than that which rested upon Washington. Another named January 1, 1863 when slaves legally receive their freedom for the first time as flags waved there suddenly arose a strong male voice cracked and elderly and began singing my country tis of the sweet land of liberty of the icing. Another historian I would love to have been there at the surrender at Appomattox. Another I would love to been sitting alongside FDR when he first got word of the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Another when the bomb exploded at Alamogordo July 1945 and on and on and on it goes. Imagination, it can capture the moment, and you literally can feel what was felt.

I do that every time I open my Bible every time I read a story from the Scripture on their III can feel the pressure in the folly of a law as David faces the life across the veil. I would love to have been alongside Daniel in the lion's den. I don't want to be there alone when the Lord gave the lion lockjaw and he slept all that night comfortably because of the miracle that got it done. I would love to bed with the shepherds in the field outside Bethlehem when they heard the voice of the angel or sitting next to Paul member time dungeon when he wrote his final words to Timothy when travel to Israel. We take a journey back guided by imagination were sitting on the steps of the temple looking south across Jerusalem to the left is the Kidron Valley and leads up to the Mount of olives, the little garden of Gethsemane on a clear day you can see in the distance. We love to have our guest soloist sing as were sitting there in a group. I walk today where Jesus walked, ending with marvelous words and felt his presence there imagination takes you there. Without it, it's just black print on white pages, but with it you're there today here in the disciple you're one of the 12 not yet numbered 12 year among the early chosen disciple and your standing alongside Jesus when he deals with the one who is filled with demons and you watch him as he cast them out with the word go. When not in use, and the demoniac is back it is right minded clothing sitting nearby you get in the boat with Jesus. As we read in verse one, you climb into the boat. Smell the fish couple of dead ones are left there for the boat. Maybe you feel the wet net on your leg as fishermen once used it not too long ago and throated in the boat just a little fishing boat to take you a back cross that 6 mile trek from the Gadarenes back to Capernaum with Jesus in light of what just happened. You wonder what the day will hold you wonder if you will encounter anything like that, then you're in for another surprise because it isn't long before you're in the house that's packed with people all the way out the door. That house, and you're listening to the master is he teaching suddenly you feel something on your shoulders and you you look up and you notice daylight through the roof. Before long you can see four men holding onto the four lines on the corner of the mat as they let down into the room. The paralytic quadriplegic paraplegic were not told which, but there really is any can't move on his own. You listen wondering what Jesus will say your surprised to know he doesn't first talk about his paralysis. He talks about his soul because Jesus knew the culture in that culture you had that happen to you because of sin, either in your life or someone before you, right or wrong. That's what the many people believe that Jesus addresses the man's soul before he addresses his paralysis.

He says be encouraged. My child in the verse to your sins are forgiven. Your heart beats a little faster when you realize that the one you're following is able to do that. But there are others who are sneering in their thinking in their own minds there thinking as they say to themselves. That's blasphemy. Who does he think he is God you know is the data.

What I love about the story and here I allow my imagination to race a little like I love it that Jesus can read your mind. They didn't say it out loud.

They said it in themselves so to convicting is the member stuff you say under your breath. You think nobody heard you. It's all known by our Lord.

He hears their thoughts so he said to them, what you have such evil thoughts in your hearts. I have been the man was paralyzed is still there. Nothing's been done yet Jesus is addressing the skeptics you're listening because you're a young disciple and you would know how to answer them.

He's not intimidated. He says it is, is it easier to say, your sins are forgiven or stand up and walk out of the question.

Would that be when you have to have authority to forgive sins and to prove that you have such authority. One is made to stand up and walk. You could do miracles need showing his role as Messiah, the one who can do that and they don't know that they don't believe that. So there standing and listening. Interestingly, they don't answer so he says I will prove to you that the Son of Man has the authority on earth to forgive sins. Then Jesus turned to the paralyzed man and said, stand up, pick up your mat go home. The man jumped up and went home.

You are like about the story here. It's so non-sensational. There are no signs outside the house that say come see the miracle worker.

There are no tickets sold. There is no emphasis on the one doing the miracle it's on the power, the authority of God working through it. The man gets up and goes home.

Fear swept through the gravel of magic they saw what happened and by the way, the miracle was instant it was a come back later. Let's see how you're feeling.

He was immediately healed of his paralysis and very grateful that they are praising God for sending one with such authority. You think that's it. That's today.

Now we can walk along with Jesus and springtime quietly by him, but that's not the plan as a matter of fact, Jesus Wally's walking along, we have Mark and Luke to thank the know that they were alongside the Sea of Galilee. So the route by the water's edge.

One of the writer says that everyone is following him. But there's one that isn't following. He sitting in a tax booth is looking watching what's happening outside. But he's not a follower. He sitting at his tax collectors booth and he is one hated man I told you he was a tax collector that ought to be enough. But if you knew then if you knew now what they knew then you be saying to Jesus whatever you do don't call him to join our group is a tax collector. Let me fill you in my help. There was never a more unlikely candidate for the office disciple or apostle than Matthew the authorized version calls him a publican public enemy were tax collectors. Tax gatherers. They were so-called because they dealt with public money and with public funds. The problem of the Roman government was to devise a system whereby taxes could be collected as efficiently and cheaply as possible. They did so by auctioning the right to collect taxes in a certain area. The man who bought that right was responsible to the Roman government.

Don't forget that Matthew was a Jew but is working for Rome and you already know what the Jews thought of the Romans sees a turncoat he's got his hands enjoys pockets but is answering the Roman authorities and there was an agreed summary was to collect anything he could raise over and above that he was allowed to keep as his commission obviously the system lent itself to grave abuses.

Many a tax collector became a wealthy person through illegal extortion. The system had to be led to so many of you had led to so many abuses met in Palestine. It needed to be brought to an end. Taxes, however, still need to be paid and there were still abuses. Three. Great stated that a ground tax by which a man had to pay 1/10 of the grain of his grain in one field, 1/5 of its fruit and vine. There was an income tax which was 1% of the man's income. There was a poll tax which had to be paid by every male in the age of 14 to the age of 65 and by every female from age 12 to 865. These were statutory taxes and could not will be used by tax collectors for private profit.

However, in addition to the taxes. There were all sorts of other taxes, a duty on anything from 2 1/2% to 12 1/2% on all goods imported and exported tax had to be paid to travel on main roads to cross bridges to enter marketplaces and towns or harbors.

There was a tax on pack animals tax on wheels and axles of cards. They were purchased taxes on goods bought and sold in light of that, all kinds of people were needed to collect these taxes and it wasn't difficult for such a person to line his own pockets. In addition to collecting taxes which were illegally done these tax gatherers were therefore universally hated they had entered the service of their country's conquerors and they amass their fortunes at the expense of their countries misfortunes. They were notoriously dishonest. They made a flourishing income by taking bribes from rich people who wish to avoid taxes which they should've paid and on and on. So these guys were hated.

In fact, I thought about this but I think the average Jew looked upon those fellow Jews who were tax gatherers as independent Roman scholars or IRS independent, Roman, as they were for, so don't call Matthew to be one of the disciples are maybe ripped off my uncle. He's the same guy who got rich on Jesus reaches out and says to Matthew, follow me and be my disciple. All he's got to be one of us is tax gatherer Matthew got up and followed him.

Luke adds. He left everything and followed. He closed out his business. He sent words to his colleagues on through. He notified the Roman authorities are no longer involved. I'm not a follower of this man whose change my life and that wasn't enough, now pay attention.

Being a disciple Matthew invited Jesus and us see it.

Jesus and his disciples to his home. Luke tells us it was an honor of Jesus, who was the guest of honor, and he brought them along with many tax collectors and other disreputable sinners. Don't you love the word other, like saying we want you to come and bring along your wife and other gossips see what it does it puts everybody in the category of a gossip bring along this man and also other crooks who worked alongside.

The point is, the room is filled with people that you and I wouldn't look down on because of what they did for a living and they're all sitting together at this table and having the time of their life. Matthew was there because he so excited about their meeting his master, whom they do not know but as you would imagine.

The Pharisees were looking in the windows and they were squeezing their eyes and so they asked his disciples, so maybe one of you heard them.

What is your teacher.

What is your teacher eat with such scum can you tell me how he gets away with this and calls himself a spiritual leader. What would you have answered and by the way, great point which you felt uneasy at the table.

Would you would you thought yourself comfortable sitting with a whole group of people like those. Your parents are taught you to eight and those that you would learn now that you're an adult that you cannot trust got a whole table full of these disreputable sinners in the Pharisees saw it being self-righteous as they were. They want to know how you can eat with such scum at that moment.

It's great to be a disciple. You look to Jesus for the answer, and he gives a classic answer.

Look at this without any preparation.

He responds helping people don't need a doctor. Sick people rate.

I love that answer another refreshing response from Jesus, the Pharisees attempted to trap him. Healthy people don't need a doctor.

Jesus said sick people do your listening to Insight for living Chuck Swindoll titled today's message of soul-searching walk alongside Jesus. To learn more about this ministry. Please visit us online@insightworld.org in addition to encouraging you to visit us online.

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