Matthew and Us

The calling of Matthew to discipleship in the Sunday Gospel should give all of us great hope. The reason for hope will become clear as the story unfolds.

Being a tax collector meant Matthew was an unlikely person for discipleship. He was almost certainly hated or at least dislike by other Jews, if for no other reason than that what he did consorted with the enemy. And, it was very common that tax collectors were involved in graft and extortion. They weren’t even allowed in the synagogue. A tax collector was such an outcast that their money wasn’t accepted as alms! Seen as so untrustworthy, they couldn’t testify in court! Very likely, Matthew was a pretty unsavory guy.

Yet, even before Matthew himself knew he could be more, could play and important role in announcing the kingdom, Jesus knew it about him. But there is something else here that is marvelous. Jesus didn’t condone Matthew’s choices and life, but he didn’t criticize him either. As far as we know, there was no discussion at all about it. No interview. No accounting asked or given. I think what happened here is that Jesus believed Matthew could live up to the call and renounce his former life.

So here’s the hope. Jesus sees in us the good, the potential we have for the kingdom’s sake. He sees how we may come to be an earthly extension of his heavenly love. He sees how we can by the way we live with others be the presence of his love in their lives, love for which they long, for which they ache, for which they search, sadly often in all the wrong places.

What an affirmation that is for us! If we ever wonder if we have anything to offer anybody, any purpose in life, we just need to remember what Jesus saw in Matthew and what he sees in us.
Jesus eats and drinks with tax collectors and the likes of us. He chooses us! Why? He loves us and we need him. Isn’t that wonderful? We need him and he’s there for us. In our pride and selfishness, greater affronts than the tax collector’s extortion, he’s there without reservation because we need him.

There’s an interesting point here we don’t want to miss. The rabbis of Jesus’ day wouldn’t have criticized Jesus merely because he cared for the outcast, the poor, the sinner. They too welcomed the repentant sinner. What was different was that Jesus sought them out! Just as he seeks us out in our own unrighteousness. This is truly the Good News.

Matthew is apparently so ready to break free of his old life that he drops everything--a considerable everything--and follows Jesus. Matthew threw a dinner party which all the other tax collectors and sinners attended with Jesus as the honored guest. Wouldn’t that make sense? He’s just experienced his life’s and soul’s salvation, wouldn’t he want to share the source of that with everybody he could? Wouldn’t we? Wouldn’t we, being overwhelmed with his love for us, remembering that “while we were yet sinners, he died for us,” wouldn’t we do the equivalent? Of course we would.

How could we do this? We resist the temptation to maim others with our words. We act on those impulses that hit us to make that phone call to a friend or someone in need instead of turning on the TV. We pay attention to those around us, and when we see pain, large or small, we show concern, real concern, not just curiosity. We look for and acknowledge the good in someone rather than focus on real or imagined flaws in them. We trust others because we expect the best from them.

We eliminate criticism, even the uninvited constructive kind, and replace it with acceptance. We abolish the intolerance in our lives that is so much a part of the way of the world, and we replace it with openness and tolerance. We don’t insist on our way, instead we try to respond to the need of another. We don’t demand, we ask. We don’t imagine mean spirited motives in others, instead we try to clarify and understand their actual motive. The list goes on and on. These are just a few ways we love, not as the world loves, but as God loves.

“Follow me,” Jesus invites. “Follow me,” Jesus commands. “Follow me,” Jesus implores. “We will,” we respond. Let our prayer be for the continuous presence of the Spirit to strengthen us in this ministry of grace with which we’ve been entrusted.

A little long, but then I've missed the rest of the week! Peace to you.

Jerry+