“And as Jesus passed forth from thence, he saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he saith unto him, Follow me. And he arose and followed him.” Matthew 9:9
Read Matthew 9:9-13; Mark 2:13-17; Luke 5:27-32
Before the beginning of time, Jesus knew Matthew. He knew where He would find Matthew. He knew the work Matthew engaged in each day. He knew who Matthew would become. The Pharisees and Jesus’ disciples didn’t.Jesus knew who Matthew associated with. He knew the impact Matthew would have—get this—with the religious leaders. Yes. The religious leaders of the day. They were Matthew’s audience when he wrote his Gospel.Before the beginning of time, Jesus knew me. He knew when I would receive Him as my personal Savior. He knew where I would be fifty years later. He knew who I would become. No one else did. Not even my parents.The same for each person that lives and has ever lived. Jesus is a personal Savior interested in a personal relationship with each individual (“…not willing that any should perish,…” II Peter 3:9).
How absolutely astounding. The Creator of the Universe, the Lord of all, knows me.
Matthew’s education clearly exceeded most Jews at that time. His wealth likely exceeded most as well. Yet, he gave it all up to follow Jesus. Just up and walked away from his job and his wealth and his home.
I speculate that Matthew (also known as Levi) knew who Jesus was. Probably, he’d heard Jesus speak and maybe he’d even seen Jesus perform miracles. That he had some knowledge of Jesus at this time seems a reasonable assumption.
I also suspect Matthew was dissatisfied with life. Wouldn’t you be if you’d been forced into a life work that meant everyone you knew would despise you, or at the very least, mistrust you?
Certainly, the Pharisees called into question Jesus actions when He went to eat with Matthew and his friends. Of course, they would use any excuse they could find to prove Jesus wasn’t who He claimed to be. But Jesus responded to them with: “They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick. But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” Matthew 9:12-13
No denying who He was sitting with. Afterall, we’re all sinners. The difference was Jesus was more concerned with the person than with his status. And I think that is the lesson Matthew learned as well.
“Wherefore receive ye one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God.” Romans 15:7 |
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