Kernan Community Groups
Sermon Discussion Guide
April 12, 2026
Matthew: A Seat at the Table
Matthew 9:9-13
Matthew 9:9-13
[9] As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him.
[10] And as Jesus reclined at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and his disciples. [11] And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” [12] But when he heard it, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. [13] Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”
Why was it so shocking for Jesus to ask a tax collector to be his full-time disciple?
Why were the Pharisees so upset to see Jesus eating at Matthew’s house with all of those “sinners”?
1. The sickness we must admit
How has your definition of sin changed over the course of your life? For instance, what did you think sin was when you were a young child? A teenager? Now?
If you were explaining what sin is to a non-Christian, what would you say?
Sin is a disease, a sickness, the whole human race has been dealing with ever since the first humans rebelled against God. What is the greatest consequence of our sin?
2. The cure we must accept
Why do you think we are so prone to self-salvation (proving our worth to God, ourselves, and others)?
Romans 3:23
[23] for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Jeremiah 17:9
[9] The heart is deceitful above all things,
and desperately sick;
who can understand it?
2 Corinthians 5:21
[21] For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
How does this verse tell us that Jesus is our cure?
3. The healing we can experience
When you trust Jesus to be your Savior you can begin to really heal spiritually. What does spiritual healing look like?
What do you think the tax collectors and sinners were thinking at the beginning of the meal versus the end of the meal with Jesus?
How can we lovingly help non-Christians “untangle” their concerns about following Jesus?
