Matthew the Tax Collector

Sometimes in the Scriptures, you come across things you have read numerous times, but have never stopped to consider.  Such was the case when I recently read Matthew 10:2-4.   

In those three short verses, Matthew gives us a list of Jesus’ 12 Apostles.   Matthew was one of those 12, and he lists himself as “Matthew, the tax collector”. 

Matthew’s calling by Jesus was somewhat unique, in that he doesn’t delay for a moment.  Rather, Matthew immediately gets up from his job and follows Jesus.

All of this was recorded by Matthew, and I wonder how Matthew felt as he wrote these words.

Whenever you see tax collector written in the Gospels, they are almost always listed with the kind of people that your parents taught you to stay away from.

In Matthew 9:11, the Pharisees ask, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”

In Matthew 11:19, tax collectors are listed in the same sentence with gluttons and drunkards.

In Matthew 21:31, tax collectors are finally lumped together with prostitutes. 

It makes you wonder if Matthew was tempted to list himself differently in the list of the Apostles than he did . . .as “Matthew the tax collector”.

He could have left it simply as “Matthew”.   Or maybe, “Matthew, former tax collector.”

Instead, it looks like Matthew just owned it.  Matthew knew his sin.  He wore his redemption and forgiveness from the sinful lifestyle that he had left behind (and he did leave it behind) as a badge of honor before the world. 

Can we say the same? 

Are we willing to be numbered with the sinners of our own age?   Or do we tend to look around and see ourselves as better than other sinners?

Do we still deal with pride and lust and unrighteous anger and despair and unbelief at times?   Do even church people deal with gossip and division?   Of course we do.  Even after the 12 Apostles were called, there they were… arguing about who was the greatest among them.  It still happens.

It’s good for us to admit that when we start to look at others and see their sins as greater than ours, what have we then become?  We are then just the new Pharisees.

It is sometimes difficult for us to think of ourselves and say of ourselves like St. Paul in 1 Timothy 1, “Of all sinners, I am the worst.”

But we really should be able to know it and say it.  Why? 

Because we know ourselves better than anyone else.  We know the things we have done in life that we’re glad others don’t know.  We know the words we have sometimes said, and the thoughts that have entered our minds.

What is the Good News about that?  Who does Jesus seek? 

Jesus seeks out sinners, not just for dinner companions.  Jesus seeks out sinners so that he can turn them away from the sin that separates them from God, so that He can make them his children for all eternity.  He loves sinners enough to say, “Go and sin no more.”  

The name Matthew in Hebrew was actually the word for gift joined with a form of the name for God . . .Yahweh.  Matthew means gift of God.  And we see how God moved Matthew from being a despicable tax collector to being someone used by God.

As soon as Matthew is called from his tax collecting booth in Matthew 9, we see him providing a dinner for Jesus at his home.  We are told there were many tax collectors there. 

Jesus uses one tax collector to gather many tax collectors for his heavenly banquet.

That is still how God works.  God could have chosen to use angels to go and make disciples.  But he didn’t.   God uses us in our roles as parent or grandparent, as a neighbor, and as a friend to others. 

He has chosen to use you and me… people who are willing, like Matthew, to be numbered among forgiven sinners.

Our joy is the same as Paul’s in 1 Timothy 1:   “The saying is trustworthy and true.  Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.” 

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