The Call of the Apostles - Matthew

 

And he [Jesus] went up on the mountain and called to him those whom he desired, and they came to him. And he appointed twelve (whom he also named apostles) so that they might be with him and he might send them out to preach and have authority to cast out demons. He appointed the twelve: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter); James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James (to whom he gave the name Boanerges, that is, Sons of Thunder); Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him. (Mark 3:13–19 ESV).

 

The next Apostle we will look at is Matthew. According to most Christian scholars, he was also one of the four Evangelists as author of the Gospel of Matthew, and thus is also known as Matthew the Evangelist. A little backstory might be helpful in our devotioal today. Remember, the Jews had returned to Judea and Jerusalem after years of exile, yet they now lived under Roman Imperial control. The Romans oppressed and subjugated the Jews, treating many like slaves. Matthew worked as a tax collector for the Romans, taking money from his own people for those who oppressed them. Most would have seen him as a traitor. Further, tax collectors would often overcharge and keep extra money, developing a reputation for greed and theft. Jews viewed these “publicans” as traitors and robbers.

 

However, one day, while Matthew sat working at his tax booth, Jesus looked at him and said, “Follow me.” This would have been scandalous to the religious Jews of the day to even offer redemption. After hearing Jesus call him, Matthew immediatey obeyed. He left behind his position and wealth to embrace a new life as Jesus’ disciple for the Kingdom of God. The Pharisees critisized Jesus for associating with such a sinner. But Jesus told them, “I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance” (Luke 5:32).

 

After Jesus's ascension, Matthew is believed to have spent years preaching in Judea before taking the Christian message to distant regions such as Persia, Ethiopia, and other parts of the East. Accounts of his death generally honor him as a martyr, though specific details vary. His traditional relics are famously kept and venerated in the Salerno Cathedral in Italy. His story is one of the most inspiring insights into the power of transformation from the Holy Spirit.

 

His story tells us no one is beyond redemption. Once an agent of oppression and getting rich from it, he transformed. God’s voice and call can change and redeem anyone, even the ones we may feel are the least likely. In truth, no one is worthy or able to be saved. We all need his grace and mercy, and just as God saved us, he can save anyone.