Matthew: a man gifted to give

Gospel text Matthew 9, 9-13

As Jesus moved on, He saw a man named Matthew at his seat in the custom-house, and He said to him, «Follow me». And Matthew got up and followed him. Now it happened, that while Jesus was at the table in Matthew's house, many tax collectors and other sinners joined Jesus and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this they said to his disciples, «Why is it that your master eats with those sinners and tax collectors?». When Jesus heard this he said, «Healthy people do not need a doctor, but sick people do Go and find out what this means: What I want is mercy, not sacrifice. I did not come to call the righteous but sinners».

The Mother Church celebrates the Feast of Matthew, a disciple of Jesus and an Evangelist of His Word. Matthew presents Jesus as a teacher, who teaches about the kingdom of God on the Earth. That is why we find in his Gospel the five discourses that include the discourse of the Beatitudes, the famous one. Today we shall see better the three learnings from the life and call of Matthew. 

1. Have you ever heard Matthew’s other name ‘Levi’? It was the ancient Publican's name which means originally ‘to take’ or ‘to be bonded’. Both Mark and Luke use his original name ‘Levi’ to denote Matthew. But Matthew prefers to call himself 'Matthew', a new common name which in Hebrew (mattija) means, “the gift of the Lord”. Matthew does not want to take rather he wants to "give/contribute his life/words to Jesus, to the Church and to the people". He is no more Levi, when Jesus sees him, because according to Matthew, his conversion has started already there. 

2. Luke adds in his Gospel, “He left everything behind, and got up and began to follow Him” (Luke 5:28). He wants to leave everything for the sake of Jesus. Attention! For any Jewish tax collector, leaving everything is not a mere act of sacrifice. Usually, Jewish tax collectors were extraordinarily rich people. And so, they were disdained by the common people because they were working for the hated Romans collecting taxes for customs or tolls on imports, exports, and merchants. “He left away” signifies more for Luke, because there were a number of things to leave; wife, children, kith and kin, property and name. Be happy to lose for Jesus. He gained one thing; the vision of Jesus. 

3. Matthew invites Jesus to his table. The first preaching in Matthew’s Gospel starts here. He invites Jesus for a dinner. Food is the sign of a relationship. Matthew’s courageous initiative is to present Jesus to his people, friends and kith and kin. Only two people introduced Jesus to his family and friends. Later in his gospel, he writes, “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them … (Matthew 28:16) Be courageous to share Jesus with yours.

Thank you Jesus for the gift of the Evangelist and his Gospel. Send us your Spirit to Contemplate You through his gospel. Amen.