PCC Scroll: Men of the Bible - Matthew

I also ended up writing the Men of the Bible as well.

Name: Matthew

Meaning: Gift of Jehovah

His Character: Matthew was a successful business man whose life was greatly changed after he followed Christ.

His Sorrow: As a tax collector, Matthew was alienated from the Jewish people.

His Triumph: The call of Christ gave a marginalized tax collector a place in the world, and he became a disciple of Christ. He successfully and succinctly recounted this call in the book of Matthew.

Key Scriptures: Book of Matthew

Matthew (Levi) was one of Jesus’ 12 disciples, and he answered the call of Christ immediately. From Matthew 9:9, we know that at the time of his call, Matthew was sitting in his tax collector’s booth. Christ walked by and instructed Matthew to follow Him and be His disciple. Matthew then got up and followed Christ. He immediately tried to bring others in contact with Jesus by inviting Jesus to his home for dinner. The guest list to this dinner included other tax collectors, sinners, Jesus, and the other disciples who had been called. This dinner drew the ire and censure of the Pharisees and teachers of the law. But, as Christ said, He was there for the unhealthy and sinners.

It is important to note that during this time, tax collectors were despised by the masses. Because Matthew collected taxes for Rome, he was considered a traitor to his own people. Tax collectors had bad reputations because most collected more than Rome demanded and pocketed the money at the expense of other Jews. They were then able to afford a grand lifestyle. It is also important to note that when Matthew left his occupation, there was little chance of ever going back to it. This is different from some of the other disciples who would have had fishing to fall back on to.

In following Christ, Matthew not only reset his life, but he also reset his place in society. He obtained a place in society where he was accepted. In his walk with Christ, Matthew was able to use the skills he had developed from being a tax collector. Being a tax collector made him a skilled record keeper, and the book of Matthew is the result.

Matthew’s account focuses on communicating that Jesus is the Messiah and explaining God’s Kingdom. He also made many references to the Old Testament. He began his account by sharing Jesus’ genealogy. Matthew then goes on to write about Jesus’ birth and Jesus’ early years. His book covers Christ’s baptism, Christ’s wilderness experience, and Christ’s public ministry. He shapes Christ’s authority by reporting the miracles and healings. At the end of his book, Matthew focuses on the final days of Christ.

Matthew’s example is a beautiful illustration of a person answering the call of God. Jesus calls people from all walks of life, even a then despised tax collector. We have all been called to follow God, and, like Matthew, this call gives us a new life and a new identity. From Matthew, we also know that God allows us to sharpen our skills and abilities before we use them for the Kingdom. When we answer the call of God, these skills are given a new purpose and put to good use, which is to further the Kingdom of God for such a time as this.