9 As Jesus went on from there, He saw a man called Matthew sitting in the tax collector’s office; and He *said to him, “Follow Me!” And he got up and followed Him.

Matthew 9:9 (NASB)

Moving on

Jesus is on the move. What will He do next? Where is His next stop? Who is in His path of ministry? Jesus has taught the Sermon on Christian living (Sermon on the Mount), healed many people, and rebuked the religious leaders. Now it’s the uncommon calling of Matthew the disciple and author of this Gospel we are studying.

Uncommon calling

As Jesus is walking His path of ministry, he calls Matthew. Recently we shared that He met with the Father each morning. This morning, I envision The Father revealing to Jesus the Son that today was the day to call Matthew, a tax collector. He passes by Matthew at his tax collector booth and calls him to follow Him. The video clip below nicely dramatizes the event – especially Peter’s reaction. Peter, a common fisherman, was called to follow Jesus (Matthew 4:18-20) and did so immediately. But Peter was a “good Jew”, not a filthy, despised, traitor”!

Why Matthew?

Who is Matthew? He’s a Jew, but one of the most hated Jews among Jews. He is a traitor for he was working for the Romans who were subjugating the Jews – a constant, painful, reminder of the glory days of King David and Solomon when Israel ruled strong. And a chafing reminder of why they are being oppressed by Rome – for their rejection of the Father. It wasn’t so much Matthew they hated, though they did hate him, but their situation and themselves for allowing it.

Matthew’s response

Imagine Matthew in his tax collection booth, receiving money and probably pocketing a percentage for himself to justify the rejection and make life comfortable. This small group led by a “street preacher” walks by. He’s heard about this man Jesus, is intrigued and has been wondering, “Who is He, Is He really this amazing? Why do people follow Him?…Could I follow Him? Would He even give me the time of day? What would it be like?”

But Jesus stops and addresses Matthew directly. With a warm, loving, authoritative voice, He beckons Matthew, even commands him, to follow Him. Matthew, being a numbers guy, has already counted the cost. He is amazed that Jesus is accepting him. Now he just needs to make the life-changing decision. Will he give up all he has worked and suffered to get and bet it all on this man? Can he trust Him with his future? He responds immediately.

RЯeflection

• These questions that I surmise went through Matthew’s mind and spirit are similar to what we ask ourselves. As a follower of Christ, we should ask these questions again of ourselves. If you are not a follower of Christ, what are you waiting for? Click here.
• The mini-series, The Chosen, does a wonderful job of adding “flesh and bones” to some of the details of the ministry of Jesus – like this calling of Matthew. I encourage you to watch the first one. Tip: turn on subtitles so you can catch all the dialogue. The Chosen, Video 1.