“Surprised by Grace” (Matthew 9:9-13)

 

*The Calling of Saint Matthew (1600) by Caravaggio

The Gospel According to Matthew
This year 2026, in the first half of the year, our Bible Study groups are walking through the entire New Testament together. Each week, our sermon will walk alongside that journey. This week, we begin with the Gospel of Matthew. Matthew’s main theme is loud and clear: “The kingdom of God.” “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near!” (Matthew 4:17) That was the very first message Jesus preached. Matthew often uses the phrase “kingdom of heaven” instead of “kingdom of God,” because of Jewish reverence for God’s name. He means the same thing: God’s reign, God’s rule, God’s way of life. So today, we ask Matthew’s questions:

· What is the kingdom of Heaven?
· How does Jesus bring the kingdom to us?
· How do we enter it? How do we live in it?

What the Kingdom of God Is Not
Let us begin with what the kingdom of God is not. First, God’s kingdom is not a visible political kingdom. In Jesus’ time, many people expected a visible, powerful kingdom. They hoped God would overthrow the Roman Empire, restore Israel, and bring freedom through force. They expected a strong savior and an even stronger kingdom. But Jesus says something very different: “The kingdom of God is not coming with things that can be observed… nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There it is!’” (Luke 17:20-21) The kingdom does not come here or there. It doesn’t come with armies or borders. This is why many were disappointed in Jesus. He did not meet their expectations.

On a more personal level, the kingdom of God is not an add-on to our existing life. Matthew is very honest. It is not something we can possess alongside everything else. Jesus clearly says, “You cannot serve both God and wealth.” (6:24) We cannot seek power and control and still live under God’s reign. We cannot hold tightly to our own kingdom and inherit God’s kingdom. Matthew shows us again and again. We cannot have both. We must get out of our own way. This is hard, even painful. God’s kingdom is found only on the narrow path. It was not what people expected then, and it is not what we often want now. So what is it?

What the Kingdom of God Is
Matthew shows us what the kingdom of God looks like. He tells us that when Jesus came, “the people living in darkness saw a great light.” (4:16) The kingdom comes like light breaking into darkness. Quietly. Powerfully. It is the fulfillment of God’s long promise through the prophets. What Isaiah spoke of long ago now takes flesh in Jesus. “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me.” Good news is preached to the poor. Captives are set free. The broken are healed. New life and joy begin to grow where despair once lived. (cf. Isaiah 61:1-3)

In Matthew, God’s kingdom is not an idea or a place. It is made visible through Jesus. Wherever Jesus goes, the kingdom shows up. When he teaches, truth takes root. When he touches, bodies and souls are healed. When he forgives, lives are restored. Where Jesus is, there is healing, freedom, joy, peace, and new life! The kingdom of God looks like Jesus himself.

By the Way of the Cross
Then, we ask: How does Jesus bring God’s kingdom to us? How does he make it available to everyone?” Jesus openly teaches that the kingdom comes through suffering. Three times, Jesus tells his disciples that he must suffer many things, be killed, and on the third day be raised to life.” (Matthew 16:21, 17:22-23, 20:18-19)

Matthew presents Jesus as King, yet a very different kind of king – A suffering King, a suffering Servant King. “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (20:28) His death is not an accident, but it is the way by which the kingdom comes – the way of the cross. And this fulfills God’s promise through Isaiah:

He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. (Isaiah 53:5-6, NIV)

Jesus brings God’s kingdom – not by force but by his suffering, not by power but by giving his life. So, how do we receive God’s kingdom? How can we enter it and live in it?

Through the Knees
We enter the kingdom on our knees – through humility and repentance. Matthew does not only record the gospel message, but also he included his own story. He shows us how the kingdom changed him.

Matthew was a tax collector. He was wealthy and secure, but comprised, sitting on the fence. Something was missing. He longed for new life. Matthew tells his story briefly, but we can imagine it this way: One day, Matthew hears Jesus teaching nearby. Jesus tells a parable: Two people went up to the temple to pray. One is a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee says, “God, I thank you that I’m not like this tax collector. I fast twice a week, I tithe.” But the tax collector stands at a distance, beating his chest, praying, “God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” Jesus says, “This man went home justified rather than the Pharisee.” After hearing this, Matthew cannot focus on his work. Then suddenly, Jesus appears at his tax booth and says two simple words, “Follow me.” And Matthew gets up, leaves everything, and follows him.

Caravaggio captures this moment beautifully in his painting The Call of St. Matthew. Matthew and his companions sit in a dim room, dressed in fine Roman clothes. Jesus enters quietly, pointing. Only Matthew notices. He points to himself as if to ask, “Who, me?”[1] Matthew ends this story with Jesus’ words: “I didn’t come to call righteous people, but sinners.” (9:13)

Caravaggio himself lived a troubled life. He was a talented painter, but also violent, restless. He fought, was imprisoned, even killed a man. He lived much of his life on the run. Yet God met him there. Caravaggio saw himself in Matthew – a tax collector, a sinner, a traitor. Caravaggio knew what it meant to be broken. He knew guilt, shame, and darkness. When he painted Matthew, he was not painting a perfect saint. He painted an ordinary, sinful man, surprised by grace. Many believe Caravaggio painted himself into Matthew’s face. It is as if he was asking, “Could Jesus call someone like me?” In the painting, light cuts through darkness. It changes everything.

The Gospel of Matthew for Everyone
Matthew’s gospel is about the God’s kingdom coming to sinners. Jesus eats with tax collectors. He does not choose the clean first. He simply invites and calls, “Follow me.” Like Matthew, like Caravaggio, we are surprised by grace.

Jesus says, “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it” (Matt. 13:44–46, NIV).

We could paraphrase the parable this way: Imagine a man walking downtown. He spots the most beautiful pearl he has ever seen in a shop window. He knows he must have it. He rushes inside and asks the clerk, “How much is that pearl?” The clerk replies, “How much do you have?” The man says, “I have $100 in my pocket.” “Good, I’ll take that. What else do you have?” “Well... I have a car parked outside.” “I’ll take that too. What else?” “I have some savings—maybe $10,000.” “Good. I’ll take that as well. What else?” This goes on until the man gives up his house, his family, everything. Finally, the clerk says, “All right. The pearl is yours.” The man is overjoyed. He turns to leave, but the clerk stops him and says, “Wait. One more thing. Your family? I don’t need them—I’m giving them back to you. But they’re mine now. Take good care of them for me. Your house? You can live in it. But remember, it’s mine. Same with your car, your savings, even the $100. It’s all mine now. Use them well for me.”

So this morning Matthew leaves us with one quiet but profound question: What am I still holding onto? The kingdom of heaven is near. The pearl is before us. Jesus still says: “Follow me.” May we, like Matthew, say yes – all in. I have decided to follow Jesus, my pearl, my all in all. No turning back.

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[1] Heidi J. Hornik, The Art of Christian Reflection (Baylor University Press, Waco, Texas, 2018), 13-15.