When we read Matthew 9, We See that
Jesus Forgives and Heals a Paralyzed Man
The Calling of Matthew
Jesus Questioned About Fasting
Jesus Raises a Dead Girl and Heals a Sick Woman
Jesus Heals the Blind and the Mute
The Workers Are Few
It is good to see the context before and after we deep dive into “Calling of Matthew”
The Calling of Matthew
9 As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth. “Follow me,” he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him.
10 While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples. 11 When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
12 On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 13 But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
THE CALLING OF MATTHEW
Matthew was named Levi before his call by Jesus. We don’t know whether Jesus gave him the name Matthew or whether he changed it himself, but it is a shortening of the name Mattathias, which means “gift of Yahweh,” or simply “the gift of God.”
The best part is also that he is the author of this book “Matthew” but nevertheless Narrator of this book is God.
Matthew was a dishonest tax collector driven by greed until Jesus Christ chose him as a disciple. We first meet Matthew in Capernaum, in his tax booth on the main highway. He was collecting duties on imported goods brought by farmers, merchants, and others. Under the Roman Empire system, Matthew would have paid all the taxes in advance, then collected it from the citizens and travellers to reimburse himself.
Tax collectors were notoriously corrupt because they extorted far and above what was owed, to ensure their personal profit. Because their decisions were enforced by Roman soldiers, no one dared object.
Tax collectors were absolutely despised by their own culture because they worked for the Roman government and enriched themselves by collecting taxes from their own people—often dishonestly collecting excessive amounts (see Luke 19:8). It is likely that Matthew was well-to-do, since Luke says that Levi hosted “a great banquet for Jesus” with “a large crowd” in attendance (Luke 5:29).
Tax collectors such as Matthew were seen by the religious elite as very sinful people, so sinful that even spending time with them could immediately tarnish a good person’s reputation (Matthew 9:10–11). When Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, with many other tax collectors and sinners present, the Pharisees questioned the disciples about Jesus’ choice of companions. Jesus’ response is one of the clearest explanations of God’s heart and His gospel to man: “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners” (Matthew 9:12–13). Jesus came to save not the “good,” self-righteous people, but those, who knew they were not good—the people who admitted freely that they needed salvation (cf. Matthew 5:3).
The Calling of Matthew
9 As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth. “Follow me,” he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him.
10 While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples. 11 When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
12 On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 13 But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
Today we are going look on the Calling of Matthew and why Jesus has to call Matthew to be one of his disciple.
The response of Matthew was amazing , Instant response , He was working , collecting taxes, enjoying his work and suddenly someone comes (I am assuming that he may have heard about JESUS) . This man comes and commands Matthew to follow him and Matthew gets up and follows him.
- His calling was Instant but his response was also Instant
If we don’t consider the INSTANT Response of Matthew from his Instant then I believe we have missed the meaning of the text.
We may have responded for somethings in our lives , Was that followed directly by our calling? or it took / takes ages for us to respond.
Jesus called Matthew to follow him, but Matthew did not knew where is Jesus going to go.
In our context , let us take names of few nations . Whether Jesus is going to take him to Africa , China, America, South Korea…. But he got up and followed him WITHOUT knowing the details. The Author (Matthew) does not write many things about himself (Leaving everything , Job , Friends etc). If I would have been Matthew , I would have written lot of thing about myself and highlighted all my sacrifices. Remarkable humility in Matthew.
Have I responded to God’s calling? , Have I responded to God , my Pastor / Mentor / Leaders call in my life .
- His calling did not restrict him to share with others
I just want to assume this , He is following Jesus and meets his friends , colleagues etc on his way or he may have visited them personally and invited them for a banquet , Please come today , I have arranged a party , I will Show you JESUS.
Verse 10 : many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples
From the above text we can assume what kind of friends he might have had , and what kind of person Matthew was. Not only tax collectors but Sinners also joined his party . Who are sinners ? what is the definition? thieves , idolaters , murderers , cheaters …. He was a good friend of them.
He did not only blindly follow JESUS , He also showed JESUS to others. He said to others come to my home , I will show you Jesus. What are we doing?
- Matthew has to prepare / meet another Matthew
The message of the Gospel need to go out from these four walls of the Church
12 On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.
Jesus reached out to Matthew , and Matthew reached out to another Matthew who is Sick (Sinful) who doesn’t know God. Isn’t that awesome.
And later, in the same chapter why did Jesus say the workers are few? even though Jesus just called Matthew ?
Matthew 9 : 35-38
The Workers Are Few
35 Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. 38 Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”
JESUS , just called Matthew in chapter 9, why did he need more in the same chapter ? There are so many Unsaved Matthews waiting for a Saved Matthew to come and show JESUS to them.
When JESUS looked at the crowd , he felt compassion on them. They were helpless . When we are in the crowd and look around at people, do we feel compassion for the crowd , as they are lost and they need a saviour .
We can do much more outside the Church then inside the Church
Matthew was one of the tax collectors whom Jesus saved. When called by Jesus, Matthew immediately left his tax collection booth and followed the Lord (Matthew 9:9). He left behind the source of his riches; he left his position of security and comfort for travelling, hardship, and eventual martyrdom; he left his old life for a new life with Jesus.
Calling should be followed with an Instant response. Followed by showing Jesus to others and preparing them.
Virjil Selvan is Pastoring the New Hope Community.
The New Hope Community is situated in the heart of the city between Old and New Panvel. We can confidently share that New Hope Community is a Church in Kamothe, Church in Khandeshwar, Church in Khanda Colony, Church in Panvel, Church in New Panvel because we are centrally located and these places surround our church Venue
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