Hear the sermon now, "Two Moves Ahead" - Fr. Christopher Caudle

Summary

In this sermon, Fr. Christopher Caudle reflects on Jesus’ call of Matthew in Matthew 9 and Luke 5, using the image of a chess player thinking “two moves ahead” to show how Jesus sees people and situations with a wisdom far deeper than human judgment. He begins by describing how, in the Gospels, objection stories often unfold in three parts: Jesus does something, others object, and then Jesus answers in a way that reveals the wisdom of God. In this case, Jesus calls Matthew, a tax collector, to follow him and then shares a meal with him and many other tax collectors and sinners. What shocks the Pharisees is not simply that Jesus notices Matthew, but that he welcomes him, calls him, and sits at the table with those considered morally and spiritually unclean. Fr. Christopher explains that where the Pharisees see disqualification, compromise, and scandal, Jesus sees someone in need of healing, mercy, and restoration. 

The sermon explores how surprising this moment would have been for Jesus’ first disciples, especially the fishermen who may well have been taxed heavily by Matthew himself. Rather than condemning Matthew for collaboration with Roman oppression or for his greed, Jesus simply says, “Follow me,” and Matthew rises and goes with him. Fr. Christopher highlights that this call has the shape of a miracle: Jesus sees someone stuck in place, speaks a word of authority and grace, and that person rises into a new life. Matthew’s calling is therefore not only a summons into discipleship but also an act of healing. This same pattern appears throughout Jesus’ ministry—he comes not merely to identify who is righteous and who is not, but to bring the broken into fellowship with himself. 

When the Pharisees question why Jesus eats with tax collectors and sinners, Jesus responds with a threefold answer that reveals the heart of his mission. First, he gives a proverb: the healthy do not need a physician, but the sick do. Second, he quotes Hosea 6:6, saying that God desires mercy rather than sacrifice. Third, he plainly states his purpose: he came not to call the righteous, but sinners. Fr. Christopher explains that the Pharisees’ problem was not only their concern for holiness, but their tendency to measure righteousness by distance from others they considered less worthy. Their system allowed them to define themselves by exclusion, always finding someone “beneath” them. Jesus overturns that logic by showing that all people need the same mercy and that God’s true desire is not exclusion but healing, restoration, and welcome. 

The sermon also connects Jesus’ actions to broader biblical themes. Fr. Christopher points to Ezekiel 34, where God condemns the shepherds of Israel for failing to care for the weak and promises that he himself will come and shepherd his people. Jesus fulfills that promise by drawing near to those who are spiritually sick and socially rejected. He also recalls Peter’s response in Luke 5, when Peter, overwhelmed by Jesus’ holiness, says, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man,” only to be met by Jesus’ invitation, “Do not be afraid.” In both Peter and Matthew, we see the same grace at work: Jesus does not move away from sinners, but toward them, calling them into relationship and service. 

Fr. Christopher then turns the Pharisees’ question around and invites the church to imagine it coming not from critics, but from those who feel unworthy: “Why does your teacher want to eat with me?” He presents this as the true mission question for the church. Rather than defending Jesus to those who judge from a distance, believers are called to answer those who wonder whether there is mercy for them, welcome for them, and a place for them at Christ’s table. This question becomes especially important for the church’s current mission, including Vacation Bible School, outreach to families from many backgrounds, and the upcoming Jamaica mission trip. The challenge is to remember personally the grace each believer has received and to extend that same invitation outward. 

The sermon challenges listeners to examine their own tendency to separate themselves from others they see as less righteous. Instead of asking why Jesus would associate with “those people,” believers are invited to answer a more personal mission question: “Why does your teacher want to eat with me?” The answer is grace—because Jesus comes near to the broken, calls people by name, and invites them into fellowship and transformation.

Prayer

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