Newness Abounds

Matthew 9:9–13, 18–26

As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax-collection station, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he got up and followed him. And as he sat at dinner in the house, many tax collectors and sinners came and were sitting with Jesus and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” But when he heard this, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous but sinners.” While he was saying these things to them, suddenly a leader came in and knelt before him, saying, “My daughter has just died, but come and lay your hand on her, and she will live.” And Jesus got up and followed him, with his disciples. Then suddenly a woman who had been suffering from a flow of blood for twelve years came up behind him and touched the fringe of his cloak, for she was saying to herself, “If I only touch his cloak, I will be made well.” Jesus turned, and seeing her he said, “Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well.” And the woman was made well from that moment. When Jesus came to the leader’s house and saw the flute players and the crowd making a commotion, he said, “Go away, for the girl is not dead but sleeping.” And they laughed at him. But when the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took her by the hand, and the girl got up. And the report of this spread through all of that district.

__________

Introduction

"Follow me," let that call of Jesus sink in for a moment. Because it resonates with the overarching theme of God bringing about newness from places and people, we thought were void of any life or redemption. "Follow me," Jesus says, because newness abounds, and newness of life abounds in ways not shackled by labels, categories, or flawed human judgment. The power of Jesus' call brings forth something new from places and people we do not expect. And this call is for us as well, if we can set aside the priorities we made for ourselves and let Jesus' words resonate within our hearts, allowing God's love to spring forth as newness abounds. 

Breaking Expectations

In the reading from the Gospel According to Matthew, we find three back-to-back encounters with people who often received harsh judgment. First, we see Matthew, a Jewish tax collector who is an outcast and despised for working with the Romans. Second, Jairus (a leader in the synagogue) comes to Jesus, hoping that he will prevent the death of his daughter. And finally, a woman suffering from a hemorrhage (and therefore deemed unclean) seeks healing from Jesus. In each of these vignettes, expectations cannot contain the reality-shattering heart of God, which continuously reminds us that nothing is impossible when the love of God is at work. 

I don't know about you, but there are days when it is hard to believe that newness abounds from God and that it will touch our lives. We tend to get wrapped up in work, putting on blinders that keep us from seeing one another or keep us honed in a particular message that is far from the life way of God. Soon we discover that we are part of the crowd taunting Matthew, laughing at the thought of death being undone, and part of a community that failed to care for a sick individual. It happens to all of us, and it is then that the call of Jesus, "Follow me," rings loud and true.

The Call to Follow Newness

Jesus is in the habit of calling people others deem unacceptable and calling them his disciples. And Jesus is in the habit of calling to us in moments of doubt and uncertainty or when we find ourselves in the subliminal space of unfeeling. The call to "Follow me" moves us to the abounding newness of God by calling us to something. And the call to something is also a call away from something else. Sometimes it is a call that blows on the whisper of the wind, and sometimes it is a distinct call that we cannot ignore if we want to experience the abounding newness of living in God's grace.

And it hinges on whether we engage fully with the call of God's unending Spirit that ushers in these new ways of living. As people with yearning hearts and souls, there will be days when the call is harder to follow because the voices of the jeering crowd or temptations to look out for our self-interests keep us from living fully in the heart of God. If we can set those things aside and heed the call to "follow," we'll discover that our lives are not only changed, but the lives of others will be touched as well. And places we thought were desolate are brimming with life. 

Heading Towards God’s Call

What are you called away from as you let the resonating sound of Jesus' beckoning summons ring in your ears? Perhaps we need to sit Jesus' words awhile before we fully understand. Maybe we are being called away from fear or hate, or internalized biases. Maybe we are being called away from work that tries to hold onto past glory. Maybe we are being called away from work that scrutinizes ourselves to the point where we lose sight of the imago Dei that dwells within us. 

The abounding newness of God is a lifelong journey, which is beautifully described in a poem titled "The Journey" by Mary Oliver:

One day you finally knew
what you had to do, and began,
though the voices around you
kept shouting
their bad advice—
though the whole house
began to tremble
and you felt the old tug
at your ankles.
"Mend my life!"
each voice cried.
But you didn't stop.
You knew what you had to do,
though the wind pried
with its stiff fingers
at the very foundations,
though their melancholy
was terrible.
It was already late
enough, and a wild night,
and the road full of fallen
branches and stones.
But little by little,
as you left their voices behind,
the stars began to burn
through the sheets of clouds,
and there was a new voice
which you slowly
recognized as your own,
that kept you company
as you strode deeper and deeper
into the world,
determined to do
the only thing you could do—
determined to save
the only life you could save.
(“The Journey” by Mary Oliver)

As we leave behind the voices that attempt to drown out the voice of God, as we journey deeper into our faith, we let the inner voice of God's call sound true, enabling us to see creation anew. Listen to the core of your being that finds itself in tune with the heart of God and allow it to take you off the beaten path. Our risen Lord calls out your name and reaches out to travel with you on a transformative journey. 

Conclusion

The call of Jesus reaches far and wide beyond societal norms and our expectations. Sadly, even today, we still have not arrived at the place where God's abounding newness welcomes and invites all people. Yet, there is grace that each new day that we, as people and as a Church, respond to the summons of Jesus that pulls us away from the ways that divide and bring death and brings us to a community of love and new life. Let us pray that we choose to follow, not because we are worthy or perfect people, but because too, like Matthew, Jairus, and the woman who touched Jesus' cloak, believe that newness abounds on God's lifeway.