CALLING OF MATTHEW

“The Feast in the House of Levi” by Paolo Galliari Veronese, 1573

CALLING OF MATTHEW

Matthew 9:9-17; Mark 2:13-22; Luke 5:27-39

And he went forth again by the sea side; and all the multitude resorted to him and he taught them.

Jesus fame and popularity grew in Galilee, especially along the coast of Capernaum. Multitudes of people follow in his comings and goings. Many have come to hear what he says, but a great number are interested in his ability to cure.

And after these things, as Jesus passed forth from thence, he saw a man as he passed by named Matthew Levi, the son of Alphaeus, a publicansitting at the receipt of custom: and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he left all, arose, and followed him.

One day walking through the streets of Capernaum he looks at a publican working in his stall. The man has two names, Levi and Matthew. Some critics have tried to insist Levi and Matthew were two different persons, but it is obvious from Scripture they were the same man. It was not unusual for people to have two names in those times.  Levi was the third son of Jacob whose descendents became the priestly class. It was common practice to name a child after past important figures in Jewish history. There is some speculation that Matthew was a name given to him by Jesus, much as Christ renamed Simon to Peter. Matthew is also from a Hebrew root and means Gift of Jehovah. It is interesting that Levi means, “joined”. Perhaps the naming was the other way around since Matthew joined with Jesus.

There are also critics who claim there are two different Matthews, the tax collector named here in scripture and some anonymous person who wrote the Gospel of Matthew. These critics do what all elitist and cynics do, base their judgment on the basis that someone couldn’t have accomplished certain things because they lacked the background and education of the elitists. But Matthew was an educated man to be a publican and probably versed in Latin, Greek and Aramaic. Because these men who became Jesus’ followers did not have college degrees did not mean they lacked knowledge or understanding of God and the Jewish Scriptures.

Matthew’s background is unknown, except for a few passages of the Gospel. He was the son of Alphaeus. This may mean that Mathew was the brother of James the Less, son of Alphaeus. That is not illogical. It is quiet possible, just as Andrew fetched his brother Simon to Christ, Matthew may have brought his brother James.

Jesus passed by and said, “Follow me” and Matthew got up, left his occupation on the spot and did. I don’t think it was a sudden whim. Jesus was preaching in Capernaum for a while by now. Matthew may have heard him at times, may even have been following him about. He may have had good reasons to be seeking a new life.

He was a publican, not a particularly admired profession. No one likes the tax collector and when the collector is more often than not corrupt and overcharging it borders on hatred. This was doubly so for Matthew, a Jew collecting duties for Rome. His people viewed him as a traitor.

Tax collectors were not as we have today. The publicans were freelancers, not elected or appointed. They placed bids with the Roman senate to acquire a post. They made their money by charging a fee over and beyond what the tax was. It was also common practice to exaggerate the tax and keep the difference.

There were two levels of publicans. Those who made the bids at the Senate were the chief publicans and generally came from the elite class of Romans called Equites. These were the ancestors of the equestrian or knight class. Matthew most likely belonged to the second level of publicans, who we can view as franchisees. These men worked for the Chief Publicans. All publicans could become wealthy within such a system.

And it came to pass that Levi made him a great feast in his own houseand as Jesus sat at meat in the house, behold, a great many publicans and other sinners came and sat down also together with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many and they followed him.

From this passage we see Matthew was among the publicans who did well financially. He also must have had influence among the others in his trade for a great many came to this feast he threw. Why did he have this feast? He wanted his friends to see and hear Jesus. This also tells us not to avoid those we know are sinners, but to reach out to them and try to help them see just who Christ is.

But when their scribes and Pharisees saw it, him eat with publicans and sinners, they murmured against his disciples and said to his disciples, “Why do you eat and drink with publicans and sinners? How is it that your Master eats and drinks with publicans and sinners?”

Jesus has acquired enough notice by this time that the Scribes and Pharisees are dogging his steps. They aren’t interested in his message as much as catching him in some blasphemy. These men would not ever sit down and eat with the type of person Matthew is or his friends. They were too Holier-than-thou to mingle with sinners, seeing themselves as above sin.

But when Jesus heard that, answering, he said to them, “They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. But go you and learn what that means, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”

I doubt that these Scribes and Pharisees understood this explanation. They were too committed to judgment of those not like themselves. This is a warning to us as well. We as saved Christians must never see ourselves above the sinners we once were. Jesus saved and guides us, but our human natures are no different from the corrupt and lost around us. I think we look too forward to judgment rather than concentrating on mercy. It isn’t our job to condemn the sinners of this world, but to lead them to salvation.