Matthew 9:9, commentary and pictures

As Jesus passed by He saw Levi-Matthew, a Jewish collector of Roman taxes sitting at his toll booth at his ordinary work, despised as a betrayer and extortioner, and said to him follow Me. Matthew arose at once without hesitation, questioning, excuse, or demand for pay, honor, or security, leaving all his lucrative gains to be with Jesus, learn from Him, and share His poverty and labor. Jesus chose him because He looked beyond public prejudice and unpromising appearance to an open, hungry heart that had heard His teaching, felt its sin, and longed for rest, seeing in him possibilities for usefulness in His church. His call to a despised publican offended religious and social custom, yet it showed He came as a physician for the sick to call sinners to repentance, to break the hold of greed, and to make receptive souls places for the new wine of His kingdom. Having bought men at infinite cost He still calls each person by name today to leave former ways, follow promptly with simple faith, trust Him to open the way and supply need, and use home and friendships to bring others to Him.

Matthew At Tax Booth

The man Jesus saw was Levi-Matthew, a Jew employed to collect taxes for Roman rule. That occupation made him despised by his own people as a betrayer serving a foreign power, an extortioner whose work recalled Israel's loss of independence and was bound up with oppression. He was sitting at the receipt of custom, the toll booth and tax office where the collections were taken, and to onlookers he appeared to be only a businessman at his ordinary work. Jesus called him from that place of tax gathering to follow Him as a learner.

Before that call Matthew had already heard Jesus teach, recognized his own sin, revered Jesus, and longed for help. His heart was unsatisfied and hungry, longing for rest and peace which Jesus alone could give. Yet he did not expect a respected Teacher to notice him or choose him, and he was astonished to be called by name. Jesus saw more than others saw, looking past public prejudice, unpromising appearance, and unfavorable surroundings to an open heart hungering for truth and to possibilities for usefulness in establishing His church. He discerned in Matthew one He could use, and that discernment, not outward promise, governed the choice.

To take a publican as an immediate attendant offended religious, social, and national custom, but Jesus was not guided by those distinctions. The chapter to which this calling belongs is an instructive chapter showing care and labor bestowed upon people of every class, including the poor and suffering. That a publican could thus become one of Jesus' most trusted disciples stands as proof that repentance and a reformed life are possible even for others in that despised condition.

Immediate Self-Denying Response

When the word Follow me was spoken, Matthew rose and followed at once, without hesitation, delay, questioning, or murmuring. His astonishment at being noticed did not hold him back, and he obeyed immediately and left his place to become a disciple. That following meant leaving all, all his gains, wealth and security, giving up a lucrative and profitable business without concern for financial loss. He exchanged a profitable livelihood for poverty, hardship, and hard work, valuing being with Jesus more than what he left.

He did not first ask for a salary, pay, worldly advantage, honor, or compensation equal to his former occupation. Being with Jesus, hearing His words, seeing His works, and joining His work was enough for him, and no promise of worldly gain or honor was given or demanded. He obeyed without demanding where he was going or what work he would do, and without making excuse, tarrying, or weighing earthly loss. He did not wait to become good enough or to feel anguish over sin, nor ask in trembling faith how he would live and support his family, but counted discipleship more profitable, obeyed joyfully with simple faith and a will placed on Christ's side.

He followed because he wanted soul rest and valued being with Jesus, learning from Him, seeing His works, and laboring with Him. To follow in this way means walking in the light. Prompt rising and joy in receiving the divine word is right and fitting, and is not itself shallow faith. Shallow reception is distinguished by welcoming the word without accepting its demands, without bringing it to bear on habits, and without yielding fully to its control.

Mercy Toward Despised Sinners

The call did not end at the tax booth, for afterward Jesus sat to eat with tax collectors and sinners and explained that as a physician comes for the sick so He had come to call sinners to repentance, teaching mercy instead of exclusion. Having followed, Matthew turned his home and his friendships and his relatives into an opening for others to meet Jesus, making a feast in His honor and inviting former associates and friends, including publicans and people of doubtful reputation, since receiving Christ's call leads to opening one's home to Him.

Jesus accepted the invitation, showing sympathy and social kindness, affirming human dignity, and speaking words that awakened hope of a new life. Many who first heard Him at that feast afterward became gospel messengers and instruments of enlightenment to others, and Matthew himself became a devoted evangelist who followed Jesus' example and drew sinners by kindly sympathy and the gospel rather than by setting his own piety against their sinfulness.

Jesus' call had power to break the world's hold on a person, so that greed and ambition fled from the heart and the person was set free to follow the Savior. By thus honoring a despised publican Jesus angered those who clung to prejudice and tradition and fixed ideas, showing He could make a receptive person a place for the new wine of His kingdom, as with the fishermen and the Samaritan woman, unlike those whose own interpretations left them unable to receive His lessons.

Learning In Christ's School

Following meant leaving everything behind to come as a learner to do Christ's work. In that following he became God's channel for carrying out the divine will continuously and for conveying light and grace to others with no loss of time and no waste of words or strength. All who so follow gain dignity of intelligence as they learn of Christ and are formed in the image of God.

All that was required of him was to follow Jesus, obey His commands, and enter His school where God Himself could be his teacher. He was called in the greatest simplicity straight from the receipt of customs, without being told to go first into the school of the rabbis before entering the work. As with the fishermen, years of study in a rabbinical school were not made a condition of entering God's work. The verse therefore gives the pattern that gospel workers may enter the field without long delay for training, while schools and education are still needed as long as time lasts, provided education does not absorb every spiritual interest. Learning continues throughout life, and spiritual training by the Divine Teacher is essential.

The verse means every believer has one Master, Christ Jesus, is bought with a price, and is appointed and taught his work by God Himself. Such a one is sent out to labor irrespective of written documents, with his Bible as his letter of recommendation and his own sanctified life as his influence. Therefore every man-made yoke is to be broken, and no one is to bind himself to any institution or enter written agreements binding his service for years to any living man or set of men. Teachers are not owners, and those who desire a position where they can control other minds have yet to learn this lesson.

Disciples must not turn from truth because they cannot see how to make business success and obtain a livelihood. They must obey promptly and follow Christ fully without hesitating, tarrying, or asking in trembling faith how they will live and support their families. Jesus lives to open the way and supply their need, so that those who seek first the kingdom of God find all these things added and lack nothing. The personal calling illustrates that Christ, not a human officeholder, is the authorized leader of His people and that the church was founded under His leadership.

Christ's Call Still Heard

Having paid an infinite price, Christ still calls each person by name today just as He called Matthew at the receipt of custom to leave his former work and follow Him as His disciple. No one whom others count as a sinner is beyond that call, whether the call comes to a tax collector, to those on farms, in trade, or in other occupations to warn the world. Matthew left all his gains at once and arose and followed without question, without waiting, and without stipulating that he must receive pay equal to his former occupation before he would serve.

The call to follow can require leaving former occupation and practices in order to unite with Him, to learn His methods and plans for the salvation of souls, and to work for that salvation without bringing past practices into the work. God has men of opportunity who will obey that call and leave all to follow Him as free men as God's property, not to be bought or sold, uniting with the greatest Teacher the world has ever known. Those bought with a price must hold themselves ready to leave work and change their place of labor at any moment for another field, and when Christ says Follow Me they must never hesitate but gladly do His bidding rather than binding themselves to serve a certain length of time in any one place.

The same call summons one bound in a secret society to leave the lodges and take up the work God has pointed out for him to do. Heeding it means coming to the gospel feast prepared for him, devoting his talents and efficiency to that very work, drawing nigh to God so that God draws nigh to him, being strengthened at every step and advancing in the path of righteousness. It means taking a firm stand against efforts to win him back by coming out from the world and remaining separate and touching not the unclean thing, so that God receives him and makes him His son.

Matthew's immediate, unselfish following without question, delay, or stipulation about wages exposes professed Christians under test and trial. It makes manifest whether they have subdued the traits of the carnal nature or are only as a whited sepulchre, fair in appearance but within full of impurity and defilement, since profession of Christianity alone does not make one a Christian. A heart touched by Christ's love does not put compensation first but rejoices to work with Him and trusts His care. Making God one's strength gives clear perceptions of duty, unselfish aims, and a noble purpose that lifts life above selfish gain.