Matthew: Called by Jesus, Denouncing His Old Self and Old Way of Life to Carry His Cross

Before he turned a staunch enemy of his Church into a zealous apostle, Jesus transformed a tax collector into his disciple to follow. The enemy was Saul, and he was called Paul after his conversion (Acts 9:1-30; 13:9). The tax collector was Matthew, also known as, Levi (Matthew 9:9-10//Mark 2:14-15//Luke 5:27-29)

Early Christians were afraid of someone like Saul, for he and his associates vigorously hunted and executed those who followed the way of Christ. And Jews hated tax collectors because they were considered as “traitors”, benefiting themselves from their services for the Romans, though they were also Jews. Many of them were corrupt, aggressively and excessively collecting taxes from fellow Jews more than required by the Roman ruler to fatten themselves.

On September 21, the Catholic Church honors the life of St. Matthew, a former tax collector made into one of the twelve disciples of Jesus.

The Gospel Reading of his feast (Matthew 9:9-13) describes that Matthew simply started following Jesus when he was passing by his customs station and called him to follow him.

The Calling of Saint Matthew by Caravaggio

It seems quite spontaneous as in the case of Peter, Andrew, James, and John, following Jesus immediately, when he passed by and called them to follow him, upon their first encounter with him (Matthew 4:18-22). These fishermen of Galilee did not know who Jesus was, as he just came from Nazareth, but they had been in the Capernaum area (Mark 1:16-31).

Nothing is written in the canonical scriptures as to if Matthew had any contact with Jesus before his call. And this makes us wonder if it was for the first time Matthew encountered Jesus when he passed by where he was working as a tax collector and called him to follow him. Or, if he had previous contacts with Jesus. Regardless, Matthew must have heard about Jesus by the time he came by and called him to follow. It is likely that he heard about Jesus and knew his teaching enough to be impacted by it. He must have been struggling with his conscience awakened by Jesus’ teaching that he had heard, for his sinfulness and being a tax collector. Then, Jesus came and called him to follow him. It was an opportune time for Matthew to let his heart’s deep desire for Jesus to abandon his previous career as a tax collector. He decided to serve the King rather than Caesar.

By following Jesus upon his call, Matthew deserted all his personal benefits from working for the Roman authority. And he chose to follow Jesus not knowing what would unfold to him. For him to leave his earthly security from working for the Romans to follow Jesus into uncertainty, Matthew must have had faith in him to hope for something greater than what he could have by working for the Romans.

Matthew must have been so happy to be called by Jesus and started to follow him, as he hosted dinner for Jesus and his disciples with his fellow tax collectors (Matthew 9:10). Those tax collectors at the dinner in Matthew’s house with Jesus and his disciples were probably those who had repented their past sin of collecting more than what the Romans require for their personal gain, upon hearing the teaching of John the Baptist (Luke 3:12-13). Otherwise, they would not have dinner with Jesus and his disciples to see their colleague, Matthew, joining his disciples.

In contrast, self-righteous hypocrites, the Pharisees, fussed about Jesus dining with tax collectors and sinners (Matthew 9:11). To this, citing from Hosea 6:6, Jesus said:

Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do. Go and learn the meaning of the words, “I desire mercy, not sacrifice.” I did not come to call the righteous but sinners (Matthew 9:12-13).

This suggests that Jesus called Matthew, who was hated by his fellow Jews, including the Pharisees, for collecting tax from them for Caesar, in part, as an act of mercy. And Jesus made it clear that he came to reach out for sinners so that they can repent and follow his teaching. For some, like Matthew, as well as, Paul, not only they repent and convert but become actual disciples of Jesus.

This pattern of Jesus reaching out for and calling sinners and those who were ostracized is found not only with Matthew and Paul but Augustine of Hippo, Francis of Assisi, and Ignatius of Loyola. For Augustine, Jesus reached out through Ambrose. For Francis, Jesus directly spoke, calling him to repair his house. And for Ignatius, it was Mary, through whom Jesus showed his mercy.

If you feel hated and marginalized by “holy people” because of your sin or because of the way you are, perhaps, you can keep your hope in Jesus, who has made his special care for sinners clear. And he may come to you by way of the Holy Spirit and call you to follow him as his disciple, converting your heart and transforming your being. But it means that you denounce the way you were, yourself, and take up your cross.

Drawing from Babylonian Talmud (Sanhedrin 43), the Church tradition believes that Matthew was martyred in Ethiopia upon preaching the Gospel of Jesus and converting and consecrating, Ephigenia of Ethiopia, the virgin daughter of the Ethiopian King Egippus, to God.

The Martydom of Saint Matthew by Caravaggio

Indeed, Matthew’s life that the Church honors in memorializing on September 21 reflects these words of Jesus:

Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? Or what can one give in exchange for his life? (Matthew 16:24-26).