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The Story of Matthew - The Tax Collector Who Became an Apostle _ Bible Stories · truthunedited

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Speaker 1: Imagine being so despised by your own community that people
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Speaker 1: cross the street when they see you coming. Imagine being
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Speaker 1: considered a traitor, a thief, someone so impure that your
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Speaker 1: mere presence defiles a religious environment. This was Matthew, a
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Speaker 1: man who grew wealthy at the expense of his own people,
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Speaker 1: collecting taxes for the oppressive Roman Empire. What could possibly
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Speaker 1: make a man like that abandon a life of wealth
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Speaker 1: and privilege in an instant? What words could have the
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Speaker 1: power to transform a despised tax collector into one of
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Speaker 1: the twelve men who would change the course of history?
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Speaker 1: And how could this same man, once shunned from synagogues,
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Speaker 1: go on to write one of the most influential texts
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Speaker 1: of all time. The story of Matthew is an extraordinary
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Speaker 1: account of radical transformation. It is living proof that no
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Speaker 1: one is beyond the reach of redemption. Today we will
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Speaker 1: dive into the remarkable journey of this man who traded
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Speaker 1: his tax collector's booth for an eternal mission, the tax
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Speaker 1: collector who became an apostle of Christ and the author
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Speaker 1: of a gospel that, for two millennia, has continued to
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Speaker 1: inspire millions around the world. In the first century AD,
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Speaker 1: Judea was under the oppressive control of the Roman Empire.
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Speaker 1: This land, the ancestral home of the Jewish people and
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Speaker 1: the setting of divine promises, was subjected to a foreign
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Speaker 1: power that not only imposed its political rule, but also
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Speaker 1: burdened the population with heavy taxation. The Roman taxation system
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Speaker 1: was particularly severe and complex. The empire imposed multiple forms
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Speaker 1: of taxes. There was the tributum solli land tax, the
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Speaker 1: tributum capitis poll tax, duties on goods, and tolls on
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Speaker 1: major roads. This system was especially painful for the Jewish people,
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Speaker 1: not only because of the excessive financial strain that drove
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Speaker 1: many into poverty, but also because paying taxes to a
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Speaker 1: pagan empire was deeply contrary to their religious identity. To
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Speaker 1: make tax collection more efficient, Rome employed a method that
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Speaker 1: only worsened the situation. They hired locals, usually Jews, to
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Speaker 1: collect the taxes on their behalf. These tax collectors, known
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Speaker 1: as publicans, were granted the right to collect taxes in
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Speaker 1: a specific region and were allowed to charge more than
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Speaker 1: the required amount, keeping the surplus as their personal profit. Naturally,
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Speaker 1: this system encouraged corruption and extortion. The tension between the
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Speaker 1: Jewish people and the collaborators of the Empire was intense.
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Speaker 1: In a society where national and religious identity were deeply intertwined,
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Speaker 1: those who worked for Rome were seen as traitors to
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Speaker 1: both their nation and their faith. Publicans, in particular, were
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Speaker 1: among the most despised individuals, considered on with prostitutes and
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Speaker 1: other social outcasts. It was in this turbulent setting of
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Speaker 1: foreign occupation, religious tension, and social divisions that a man
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Speaker 1: named Levi lived, a tax collector who would later be
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Speaker 1: known as Matthew before becoming a follower of Jesus and
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Speaker 1: eventually one of the Twelve Apostles. Matthew was known as Levi,
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Speaker 1: son of Alphaeus. In Mark two fourteen, we read as
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Speaker 1: he walked along, he saw Levi, son of Alpheus, sitting
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Speaker 1: at the tax booth. Follow me, Jesus told him, and
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Speaker 1: Levi got up and followed him. Levi held a significant
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Speaker 1: position in his society, though morally questionable in the eyes
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Speaker 1: of his fellow Jews. He worked as a publican in Capernium,
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Speaker 1: a city strategically located on the shores of the Sea
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Speaker 1: of Galilee. The Gospels describe him as sitting at the
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Speaker 1: tax booth, indicating that he had an established station where
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Speaker 1: he collected taxes. Capernium was a major commercial hub, positioned
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Speaker 1: along a caravan route that connected Damascus to the Mediterranean.
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Speaker 1: It also served as a border point between the territories
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Speaker 1: ruled by Herod Antipas and his brother Philip. This made
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Speaker 1: the city an ideal location for collecting taxes on goods
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Speaker 1: in transit. The role of a tax collector like Matthew
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Speaker 1: involved more than just receiving money. He had to assess
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Speaker 1: the value of goods, determine applicable taxes, maintained detailed records,
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Speaker 1: and report to Roman officials. This required proficiency in mathematics,
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Speaker 1: familiarity with multiple currencies, record keeping skills, and even some
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Speaker 1: knowledge of foreign languages to communicate with merchants from different regions. Matthew,
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Speaker 1: therefore was likely an educated man with skills that set
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Speaker 1: him apart in his local society. Copernium's strategic position as
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Speaker 1: a trade aide and border city made Matthew's post particularly lucrative.
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Speaker 1: The caravans passing through carried valuable goods, each providing an
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Speaker 1: opportunity for taxation. It is not hard to imagine that,
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Speaker 1: like other publicans, Matthew likely amassed considerable wealth from his profession. However,
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Speaker 1: the moral and social implications of being a tax collector
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Speaker 1: were devastating for a Jew. By working directly for the
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Speaker 1: Roman oppressors, Matthew was not only collaborating with the political
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Speaker 1: enemy of his people, but was also violating various Jewish
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Speaker 1: religious laws. His constant interactions with gentiles rendered him ritually
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Speaker 1: impure according to levitical standards. Moreover, the widespread corruption associated
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Speaker 1: with tax collectors directly contradicted the commandments against theft and
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Speaker 1: dishonesty in business, which were fundamental in the Torah. In
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Speaker 1: first century Jewish society, publicans like Matthew occupied a paradoxical position,
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Speaker 1: financially prosperous yet socially despised. They formed a peculiar class,
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Speaker 1: living in a limbo between two worlds, neither fully accepted
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Speaker 1: by the Romans who employed them, nor by the Jews,
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Speaker 1: to whom they belonged by birth and heritage. Above all,
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Speaker 1: tax collectors were seen as traitors to the Jewish nation.
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Speaker 1: In a time when Israel longed for liberation from Roman
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Speaker 1: rule and Messianic expectations were high, collaborating with the foreign
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Speaker 1: oppressor was considered an act of national betrayal. Matthew as
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Speaker 1: he sat at his tax booth in Capernium, was the
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Speaker 1: daily face of Roman oppression for his fellow Jews. The
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Speaker 1: common practice of extortion and corruption further worsened the negative
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Speaker 1: reputation of tax collectors. The Roman taxation system encouraged such abuses,
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Speaker 1: as collectors often charged amounts above the stipulated rate to
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Speaker 1: increase their personal profits. This practice is evidenced in the
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Speaker 1: Bible itself, when John the Baptist, when questioned by tax
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Speaker 1: collectors about what they should do, responds in Luke three thirteen,
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Speaker 1: do not collect any more than you are required to.
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Speaker 1: Extortion was so widespread that simply instructing them not to
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Speaker 1: engage in it was enough, a clear indication of how
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Speaker 1: pervasive this practice was among tax collectors. The result of
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Speaker 1: this behavior was deep social and religious isolation. Matthew likely
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Speaker 1: experienced the weight of this ostracism daily. People avoided contact
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Speaker 1: with him, both due to moral repulsion and fear of
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Speaker 1: ritual contamination. On the streets of Capernium, one can imagine
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Speaker 1: how other Jews would cross to the other side upon
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Speaker 1: seeing him approach, how mothers would pull their children away,
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Speaker 1: and how merchants would lower their eyes in his presence.
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Speaker 1: The exclusion from Jewish communal and religious life was perhaps
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Speaker 1: the most painful aspect of this situation. Synagogues, which were
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Speaker 1: not only centers of worship but also of social life
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Speaker 1: and education, likely closed their doors to Matthew. He would
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Speaker 1: not be called to read the scriptures during Sabbath services,
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Speaker 1: would not take part in discussions about the law, and
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Speaker 1: would not be invited to community celebrations. During religious festivals
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Speaker 1: that gathered families and strengthened the people's bond with God
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Speaker 1: and with one another, Matthew would remain an outsider, separated
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Speaker 1: from the communion that defined Jewish identity. The Pharisees and
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Speaker 1: religious leaders held particular contempt for tax collectors, expressing their
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Speaker 1: disdain openly. The Pharisees, who pursued ritual purity and strict
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Speaker 1: observance of the law, considered tax collectors a distinct category,
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Speaker 1: often grouping them with sinners in their statements. In method
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Speaker 1: uk You nine eleven, after Matthew's own calling, we see
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Speaker 1: this attitude clearly expressed. When the Pharisees saw this, they
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Speaker 1: asked his disciples, why does your teacher eat with tax
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Speaker 1: collectors and sinners. This constant association of tax collectors with
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Speaker 1: sinners in the gospel texts reflects the prevailing view of
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Speaker 1: them in Jewish society at the time. It was within
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Speaker 1: this context of social isolation and religious scorn that the
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Speaker 1: decisive moment in Matthew's life occurred. The Gospels offer us
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Speaker 1: a concise but deeply significant account of this transformative encounter.
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Speaker 1: In Matthew nine nine, we read as Jesus went on
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Speaker 1: from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at
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Speaker 1: the tax booth. Follow me, he told him, and Matthew
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Speaker 1: got up and followed him. The setting of this encounter
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Speaker 1: was the customs post in Capernium, where Jesus was carrying
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Speaker 1: out much of his early ministry. Capernium had become his
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Speaker 1: city Matthew nine to one. After Jesus left Nazareth. This town,
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Speaker 1: on the shore of the Sea of Galilee served as
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Speaker 1: the base for his activities in the region, and it
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Speaker 1: was along the bustling streets of this commercial hub that
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Speaker 1: Jesus passed one day and saw Matthew at his post.
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Speaker 1: The context of jesus early ministry in Galilee adds meaning
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Speaker 1: to this encounter By this time, Jesus had already begun
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Speaker 1: calling disciples, had performed remarkable miracles, and had started teaching
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Speaker 1: with an authority that astonished the crowds. His fame was
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Speaker 1: spreading rapidly throughout the region. From his tax booth, Matthew
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Speaker 1: had likely already heard about this new rabbi who healed diseases,
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Speaker 1: challenged religious leaders, and spoke about the Kingdom of God
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Speaker 1: with an uncommon authority. Jesus first words to Matthew were
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Speaker 1: simple and direct. Follow me, just two words in the
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Speaker 1: original Greek text a colo te may yet loaded with
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Speaker 1: a power and significance that transcended their apparent simplicity. This
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Speaker 1: call was not merely an invitation to physically accompany Jesus
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Speaker 1: on his journeys, but a summons to a complete life change,
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Speaker 1: a radical reorientation of priorities and identity. In the Jewish
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Speaker 1: cultural context of the first century, following a teacher was
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Speaker 1: much more than just learning from his teachings. It meant
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Speaker 1: adopting his way of life, sharing in his mission, and
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Speaker 1: ultimately becoming like him. When Jesus called Matthew with the
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Speaker 1: words follow me, he was inviting this socially rejected tax
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Speaker 1: collector to enter a new community, adopt a new identity,
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Speaker 1: and take part in a divine mission. Matthew's response was
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Speaker 1: as remarkable as the call itself. He immediately got up,
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Speaker 1: abandoned his tax booth, and followed Jesus. Matthew's radical and
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Speaker 1: instant decision demonstrates the transformative power of an encounter with Christ.
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Speaker 1: To fully appreciate the magnitude of this decision, we must
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Speaker 1: consider what Matthew was leaving behind. A lucrative position, financial security,
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Speaker 1: and an established way of life. In an instant, he
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Speaker 1: traded all of that for the uncertainty of following an
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Speaker 1: itinerant teacher. Jesus called to Matthew not only transformed the
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Speaker 1: tax collector's life, but also created a unique opportunity for
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Speaker 1: other marginalized individuals to encounter the Messiah. Matthew's next act
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Speaker 1: after his calling was to host a great feast in
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Speaker 1: his own home, inviting Jesus as the guest of honor.
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Speaker 1: Luke five twenty nine provides details about this event. Then,
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Speaker 1: Levi held a great banquet for Jesus at his house,
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Speaker 1: and a large crowd of tax collectors and others were
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Speaker 1: eating with them. Matthew's decision to invite Jesus to a
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Speaker 1: banquet at his home reveals much about his response to
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Speaker 1: the divine call. This was not a private, discreet meeting,
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Speaker 1: but a public and expansive celebration. For Matthew, encountering Jesus
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Speaker 1: was something worthy of joy and sharing, and he wanted
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Speaker 1: to introduce his new teacher to every one he knew.
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Speaker 1: The scale of the banquet, a great banquet, as Luke
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Speaker 1: describes it, suggests that Matthew was a wealthy man, capable
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Speaker 1: of entertaining many guests with generosity, wealth that likely came
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Speaker 1: from his profession as a tax collector. The presence of
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Speaker 1: other tax collectors and sinners at the event is particularly significant.
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Speaker 1: These were Matthew's associates and friends, people who, like him,
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Speaker 1: lived on the fringes of religious Jewish society. By inviting
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Speaker 1: this group to meet Jesus, Matthew immediately demonstrated his understanding
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Speaker 1: of Christ's mission to reach precisely those whom societ he rejected.
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Speaker 1: In this banquet, we witnessed the New disciples first missionary act,
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Speaker 1: bringing others to meet Jesus. This unusual gathering did not
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Speaker 1: go unnoticed by the religious observers of the time. The
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Speaker 1: Pharisee's criticism was quick to surface, as recorded in Mark
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Speaker 1: two sixteen, when the scribes who were Pharisees saw him
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Speaker 1: eating with sinners and tax collectors, they asked his disciples,
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Speaker 1: why does he eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners.
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Speaker 1: To the Pharisees, who upheld strict rules of ritual purity
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Speaker 1: and social separation, Jesus's willingness to share meals with those
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Speaker 1: considered impure was deeply problematic and questionable. Jesus's response to
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Speaker 1: this criticism was transformative and established a fundamental principle of
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Speaker 1: the gospel. In Mark two seventeen, he declared, it is
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Speaker 1: not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.
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Speaker 1: I have not come to call the riteace, but sinners
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Speaker 1: a doom. With these words, Jesus not only defended his
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Speaker 1: association with the marginalized, but also clearly defined the purpose
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Speaker 1: of his mission to seek and save the lost, offering
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Speaker 1: spiritual healing to those who recognized their need. This banquet
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Speaker 1: at Matthew's house represents a significant turning point in the
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Speaker 1: former tax collector's life. It was his first public act
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Speaker 1: as a follower, of Jesus and perfectly symbolizes the nature
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Speaker 1: of his conversion. The table that had once been a
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Speaker 1: tool of separation and exploitation, the tax collector's table, was
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Speaker 1: now becoming a place of fellowship and reconciliation. The man
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Speaker 1: who had once collected money for Caesar was now gathering
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Speaker 1: souls for the Kingdom of God. Matthew's decision to follow
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Speaker 1: Jesus marked the beginning of a profound personal transformation. Leaving
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Speaker 1: behind his tax collector's booth was much more than a
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Speaker 1: simple career change. It was the abandonment of a life
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Speaker 1: of wealth and privilege built at the expense of his
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Speaker 1: fellow countrymen's suffering. For Matthew, following Christ meant giving up
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Speaker 1: not only a guaranteed source of income, but also the
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Speaker 1: social status and material comfort that his position had provided.
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Speaker 1: Exchanging financial security for the uncertainty of discipleship was an
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Speaker 1: extraordinary act of faith. As a tax collector, Matthew had
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Speaker 1: enjoyed an economically stable, perhaps even luxurious life. Tax collectors
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Speaker 1: often accumulated considerable wealth through their work. By rising and
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Speaker 1: following Jesus, he embarked on a path of daily dependence
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Speaker 1: on divine providence. Jesus himself had warned his followers in
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Speaker 1: Matthew eight twenty foxes have dens and birds of the
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Speaker 1: air have nests, but the son of Man has no
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Speaker 1: place to lay his head. Matthew was choosing this same
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Speaker 1: itinerant life of material uncertainty. The first lessons as a
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Speaker 1: follower of Jesus must have been both challenging and liberating
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Speaker 1: for the former tax collector. Suddenly he was no longer
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Speaker 1: socially isolated, but part of a new community, the community
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Speaker 1: of Disciples. He was now learning a new set of values,
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Speaker 1: where generosity replaced greed, service replaced exploitation, and love for
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Speaker 1: others replaced self interest. Jesus's teachings about the Kingdom of God,
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Speaker 1: so contrary to the logic of the Roman Empire that
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Speaker 1: Matthew had once served, began to transform his worldview and priorities.
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Speaker 1: One particularly significant aspect of this early transformation was the
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Speaker 1: change of name from Levi to Matthew. Although the gospels
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Speaker 1: do not explicitly explain when or why this change occurred,
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Speaker 1: it is notable that in his own gospel he refers
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Speaker 1: to himself exclusively as Matthew. Matthew nine nine, the name
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Speaker 1: Matthieu means gift of God or gift of Yahweh. This
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Speaker 1: name change seems to symbolize the new identity he had received,
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Speaker 1: no longer defined by his shameful profession as Levi the
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Speaker 1: tax collector, but now as Matthew, a gift and instrument
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Speaker 1: of God. The initial challenges of integrating into the group
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Speaker 1: of disciples should not be underestimated. Most of the other
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Speaker 1: disciples came from very different backgrounds, fishermen like Peter Andrew,
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Speaker 1: James and John simple men from Galilee. As a former
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Speaker 1: tax collector, Matthew carried the stigma of having collaborated with
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Speaker 1: Rome and exploited his own people. It is possible that
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Speaker 1: he faced initial distrust and perhaps even hostility within the
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Speaker 1: new group. However, Jesus acceptance set the tone for the
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Speaker 1: other disciples, creating space for Matthew to be gradually embraced
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Speaker 1: by the community. Perhaps one of the deepest aspects of
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Speaker 1: Matthew's early transformation was the process of reconciliation with his
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Speaker 1: Jewish identity. As a tax collector, he had lived as
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Speaker 1: an outsider in his own religious community, effectively excluded from
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Speaker 1: the shared spiritual life of his people. Now through Jesus.
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Speaker 1: He was being reconnected not only with God, but also
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Speaker 1: with the promises and spiritual heritage of Israel. This reconnection
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Speaker 1: with his Jewish roots would later become evident in his Gospel,
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Speaker 1: with its emphasis on Jesus as the fulfillment of Messianic
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Speaker 1: prophecies and its concern with demonstrating the continuity between Jewish
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Speaker 1: faith and the Gospel of Christ. Mathew's journey with Jesus
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Speaker 1: progressed significantly when he was selected as one of the
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Speaker 1: Twelve Apostles. This crucial moment is described in Matthew ten one. Four.
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Speaker 1: Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them
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Speaker 1: authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every
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Speaker 1: disease and sickness. These are the names of the twelve apostles,
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Speaker 1: first Simon, who is called Peter Matthew, the tax collector.
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Speaker 1: This official selection as one of the Twelve marked an
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Speaker 1: elevation in Matthew's status within the movement of Jesus. The
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Speaker 1: twelve were not merely ordinary followers, but specially chosen representatives
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Speaker 1: entrusted with authority to continue jesus mission. The fact that
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Speaker 1: Christ included a former tax collector in this inner circle
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Speaker 1: was remarkable and demonstrated the revolutionary nature of his ministry
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Speaker 1: in a society where tax collectors were considered traitors and sinners.
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Speaker 1: Jesus not only accepted Matthew as a disciple, but also
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Speaker 1: elevated him to a position of apostolic authority. Matthew's role
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Speaker 1: within the Apostolic group seems to have been relatively discreet.
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Speaker 1: In the various lists of the twelve Apostles found in
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Speaker 1: the Gospels Matthew ten two, four, Mark three sixteen nineteen,
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Speaker 1: Luke six fourteen sixteen, Acts one thirteen, Matthew generally appears
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Speaker 1: in the second of indicating that he was not among
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Speaker 1: the most prominent disciples such as Peter, James, and John. However,
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Speaker 1: it is noteworthy that in his own list in Matthew
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Speaker 1: ten three, he humbly identifies himself as Matthew, the tax collector,
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Speaker 1: preserving the memory of his questionable past even after his transformation,
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Speaker 1: a testimony to the depth of the grace he had experienced.
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Speaker 1: The dynamics between Matthew and the other disciples must have
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Speaker 1: been complex and evolving. Initially, as a former tax collector,
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Speaker 1: he likely faced some distrust from the other Apostles, especially
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Speaker 1: those with strong Jewish nationalist sentiments. However, over time, previous
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Speaker 1: social barriers would have gradually dissolved through daily companionship and
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Speaker 1: the unifying example of Jesus. The Gospels do not record
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Speaker 1: any specific conflicts involving Matthew, suggesting that he managed to
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Speaker 1: integrate harmoniously into the group. A particularly interesting aspect is
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Speaker 1: the contrast between Matthew's background and that of the Galileean
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Speaker 1: fisherman who made up much of the Apostolic group. While Peter, Andrew,
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Speaker 1: James and John came from manual labor backgrounds, Matthew possessed
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Speaker 1: administrative skills, numerical knowledge, and was probably fluent in multiple languages.
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Speaker 1: Due to his previous position, this contrast did not represent
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Speaker 1: a division, but rather a common implementarity within the group
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Speaker 1: of the Twelve, where different skills and perspectives enriched the collective.
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Speaker 1: Matthew's special abilities as a scribe and his familiarity with
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Speaker 1: Roman administration would have been valuable to the Apostolic group.
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Speaker 1: His ability to keep records, organize information, and manage financial
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Speaker 1: matters was likely useful during Jesus years of itinerant ministry.
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Speaker 1: While the fishermen contributed their practical knowledge and physical strength.
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Speaker 1: Matthew could offer administrative and intellectual capabilities that would later
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Speaker 1: manifest in his ability to compose a structured and detailed gospel.
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Speaker 1: Once established among the Twelve Apostles, Matthew became a privileged
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Speaker 1: eye witness to jesus ministry. For approximately three years, he
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Speaker 1: accompanied the Master on his journeys through Galilee and Judea,
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Speaker 1: closely observing his teachings, mirrors, and interactions with people from
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Speaker 1: all social strata. This direct and prolonged experience with Jesus
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Speaker 1: provided Matthew with a profound understanding that would later be
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Speaker 1: fundamental in composing his gospel. As a former tax collector,
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Speaker 1: Matthew brought a unique perspective to Christ's teachings. His previous
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Speaker 1: experiences as a tax collector gave him a special sensitivity
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Speaker 1: to issues related to money, business ethics, and social justice.
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Speaker 1: It is no coincidence that the Gospel of Matthew is
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Speaker 1: the only one to record certain finance related parables, such
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Speaker 1: as the Parable of the Talents Matthew twenty five, fourteen
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Speaker 1: thirty in its most complete form, or the Parable of
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Speaker 1: the Workers in the Vineyard Matthew twenty one, p. Sixteen,
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Speaker 1: which addresses issues of fair wages and generosity. One quality
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Speaker 1: that likely characterized Matthew was his attention to detail and
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Speaker 1: his abilit to record events accurately. As a tax collector,
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Speaker 1: he was accustomed to maintaining meticulous and precise records, a
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Speaker 1: skill that translated perfectly into his role as an observer
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Speaker 1: and chronicler of jesus ministry. While some disciples may have
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Speaker 1: focused primarily on the spectacular miracles, Matthew seems to have
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Speaker 1: been careful to also capture the subtle details of Jesus's
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Speaker 1: teachings and interactions. Matthew was present during the crucial moments
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Speaker 1: of jesus ministry. He witnessed the astonishing miracles that demonstrated
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Speaker 1: Christ's divine power, the multiplication of loaves, the healing of lepers,
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Speaker 1: and the raising of the dead. He heard the parables
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Speaker 1: that revealed the mysteries of the Kingdom of God in
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Speaker 1: ways accessible to ordinary people. He observed the confrontations between
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Speaker 1: Jesus and the religious leaders, tense moments in which the
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Speaker 1: authorities questioned his master's legitimacy and Jesus responded with disconcerting wisdom.
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Speaker 1: Particularly significant was Matthew's experience during the Last Supper and
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Speaker 1: the events of the Passion. As one of the Twelve,
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Speaker 1: he was present at that solemn meal in which Jesus
26:15
Speaker 1: instituted the Eucharist, transforming the traditional Jewish Passover dinner into
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Speaker 1: a memorial of his impending sacrifice. In Matthew twenty six
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Speaker 1: twenty six to twenty eight, he records these sacred words.
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Speaker 1: While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he
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Speaker 1: had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to
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Speaker 1: his disciples, saying, take and eat. This is my body.
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Speaker 1: Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks,
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Speaker 1: he gave it to them, saying, drink from it, all
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Speaker 1: of you. This is my blood of the Covenant, which
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Speaker 1: is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.
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Speaker 1: These words, heard directly from the lips of Jesus and
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Speaker 1: preserved by Matthew, would become fundamental to Christian worship through
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Speaker 1: the centuries. The events of jesus crucifixion represented a moment
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Speaker 1: of profound crisis for all the disciples, including Matthew. Although
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Speaker 1: the gospels do not provide specific details about Matthew's individual reaction,
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Speaker 1: we can infer that he shared the collective experience of
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Speaker 1: the apostles during this traumatic period. Jesus unexpected arrest in
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Speaker 1: the Garden of Gethsemone, followed by an unjust trial and
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Speaker 1: condemnation to death, must have been devastating for the one
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Speaker 1: who had left everything behind to follow the Master. In
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Speaker 1: Matthew twenty six fifty six, the evangelist himself records a
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Speaker 1: painful fact about the disciple's response to jesus arrest. Then
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Speaker 1: all the disciples deserted him and fled. This honest admission
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Speaker 1: suggests that Matthew, along with the others, was overtaken by
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Speaker 1: fear and confusion at that critical moment. For some one
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Speaker 1: who had fully invested in a new life following Jesus,
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Speaker 1: seeing his master seemingly defeated and humiliated must have triggered
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Speaker 1: a deep crisis of faith. The despair and confusion following
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Speaker 1: the Master's death were emotions shared by all the Apostles
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Speaker 1: during the dark days between the Crucifixion and resurrection. Mourning
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Speaker 1: Matthew likely experienced the same upheaval in his convictions as
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Speaker 1: the other disciples. Traditional Messianic expectations did not include the
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Speaker 1: possibility of a Messiah who would die, let alone, be
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Speaker 1: executed by the Romans, the most shameful form of death.
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Speaker 1: As a Jew, Matthew would have had to reconcile what
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Speaker 1: he had witnessed with his understanding of the scriptures, a
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Speaker 1: painful process of theological and existential adjustment. Everything changed with
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Speaker 1: the encounter with the risen Christ. In Matthew twenty eight
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Speaker 1: sixteen seventeen, we read the eleven Disciples went to Galilee,
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Speaker 1: to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go.
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Speaker 1: When they saw him, they worshiped him, but some doubted
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Speaker 1: as one of the eleven after Judas's betrayal and death.
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Speaker 1: Matthew was present at this transformative encounter. Seeing Jesus alive
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Speaker 1: after witnessing his death must have been an experience that
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Speaker 1: transcended any human expectation, a moment of radical reversal in
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Speaker 1: his understanding of who Jesus truly was and the meaning
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Speaker 1: of his mission. The transformation of Matthew's faith after the
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Speaker 1: confirmation of the resurrection was profound and definitive. What had
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Speaker 1: once seemed like failure and disillusionment was now revealed as
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Speaker 1: part of the divine plan. For redemption. The resurrection validated
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Speaker 1: all of jesus claims about his identity and mission, offering
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Speaker 1: a new paradigm for understanding the scriptures. For me Matthieu,
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Speaker 1: with his deep knowledge of Jewish prophecies, the resurrection provided
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Speaker 1: the interpretive key that would later enable him to present
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Speaker 1: Jesus as the fulfillment of Israel's messianic hopes in his Gospel.
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Speaker 1: During the forty days after Easter, Jesus prepared his apostles
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Speaker 1: for the mission ahead. As recorded in Acts one three,
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Speaker 1: the risen Lord appeared to them over a period of
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Speaker 1: forty days and spoke about the Kingdom of God. This
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Speaker 1: period was essential in solidifying the apostles understanding of the
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Speaker 1: significance of the events they had witnessed, and in preparing
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Speaker 1: them for the task of taking this message to the world.
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Speaker 1: For Matthew, these final instructions would be crucial for his
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Speaker 1: future apostolic mission and the composition of his Gospel, providing
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Speaker 1: the necessary theological framework for interpreting the life, death, and
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Speaker 1: resurrection of Jesus. After jesus ascension, Matthew remained in Jerusalem
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Speaker 1: with the other apostles, awaiting the fulfillment of the promise
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Speaker 1: of the Holy Spirit. In Acts one thirteen fourteen, Luke
31:10
Speaker 1: mentions Matthew among the apostles who were altogether in constant prayer.
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Speaker 1: This mention confirms that Matthew was present at the pivotal
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Speaker 1: moment of the birth of the Christian Church. His participation
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Speaker 1: in the event of Pentecost marked the beginning of his
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Speaker 1: active apostolic mission. In Acts too, we read how the
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Speaker 1: Holy Spirit descended upon the gathered disciples, enabling them to
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Speaker 1: speak in various languages and proclaim the good News of
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Speaker 1: Christ to the diverse crowd assembled in Jerusalem for the feast.
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Speaker 1: As one of the Twelve, Matthew was undoubtedly among those
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Speaker 1: who received this gift and began to witness with renewed
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Speaker 1: power and conviction. Matthew's role in the early Christian community
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Speaker 1: in Jerusalem is not specifically detailed in scripture, but we
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Speaker 1: can infer that he actively participated in the leadership and
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Speaker 1: growth of this early church. Acts six y two mentions
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Speaker 1: the Twelve convening the assembly of Disciples to resolve organizational matters,
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Speaker 1: indicating that Matthew, as part of this group, was involved
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Speaker 1: in the administrative and pastoral decisions of the expanding community.
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Speaker 1: His contribution to the formulation of early Christian doctrine was
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Speaker 1: likely significant, especially considering his Jewish background and deep knowledge
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Speaker 1: of the scriptures. The Early Church was in the process
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Speaker 1: of articulating its theological understanding of Christ in light of
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Speaker 1: Jewish traditions, and Matthew's perspective. Being able to clearly see
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Speaker 1: the connections between Old Testament prophecies and their fulfillment in
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Speaker 1: Jesus would have been particularly valuable in this process. Matthew's
32:56
Speaker 1: relationship with the other apostles and leaders, such as j Adames,
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Speaker 1: and Peter, seems to have been one of cooperation and
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Speaker 1: mutual respect. In Galatians two nine, Paul refers to James, Peter,
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Speaker 1: and John as pillars of the Church in Jerusalem, suggesting
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Speaker 1: a leadership structure in which these three had special prominence.
33:17
Speaker 1: While Matthew may not have been in this inner circle,
33:20
Speaker 1: he certainly worked in harmony with these leaders in building
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Speaker 1: the Early Church. An important aspect of Matthew's apostolic ministry
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Speaker 1: may have been his possible involvement in the mission to
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Speaker 1: the Jews of the diaspora. Due to his background as
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Speaker 1: a tax collector, Matthew likely had linguistic and cultural skills
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Speaker 1: that would have facilitated communication with Hellenized Jews and even Gentiles.
33:47
Speaker 1: While we do not have specific biblical records of his
33:50
Speaker 1: missionary journeys, ancient traditions suggest that he eventually took the
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Speaker 1: Gospel beyond Jerusalem, possibly to regions with significant Jewish populations,
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Speaker 1: where his message about Jesus as the promised Messiah would
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Speaker 1: have found a receptive audience. One of Matthew's most enduring
34:09
Speaker 1: legacies was, without a doubt, the composition of the Gospel
34:14
Speaker 1: that bears his name. The circumstances that led Matthew to
34:18
Speaker 1: write his Gospel are not detailed in scripture, but scholars
34:22
Speaker 1: suggest that the text was likely written between seventy eighty
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Speaker 1: five a d. At a time when the Church faced
34:29
Speaker 1: significant challenges. The destruction of the Jerusalem Temple by the
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Speaker 1: Romans in seventy a d. Had created a crisis of
34:37
Speaker 1: identity for Judaism, and Jewish Christian communities needed to articulate
34:43
Speaker 1: their understanding of faith in Christ in relation to Jewish traditions,
34:48
Speaker 1: the Gospel of Matthew presents a unique perspective, clearly aimed
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Speaker 1: at a Judeo Christian audience. This is evident from its
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Speaker 1: very first words. The book of the Genealogy of gua
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Speaker 1: Esus Christ the Son of David, the Son of Abraham
35:05
Speaker 1: Matthew one one. This genealogical introduction directly connects Jesus to
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Speaker 1: the two most important figures in the Jewish Messianic promise,
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Speaker 1: David the ideal King and Abraham the Father of the Nation.
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Speaker 1: For a Jewish audience, these connections were essential in establishing
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Speaker 1: Jesus's Messianic legitimacy. A distinctive feature of the Gospel of
35:29
Speaker 1: Matthew is its emphasis on Messianic prophecies fulfilled in Jesus. Repeatedly,
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Speaker 1: it employs the formula so that what was spoken by
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Speaker 1: the Lord through the Prophet might be fulfilled, followed by
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Speaker 1: Old Testament quotations. For example, in Matthew one twenty two
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Speaker 1: to twenty three, after recounting the virgin conception of Jesus,
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Speaker 1: he writes, all this took place to fulfill what the
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Speaker 1: Lord had spoken through the Prophet. Behold, the Virgin shall
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Speaker 1: conceal Eve and bear a son, and they shall call
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Speaker 1: his name Immanuel does in this pattern of citation and
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Speaker 1: fulfillment occurs at least twelve times in the Gospel, demonstrating
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Speaker 1: Matthew's concern in presenting Jesus as the culmination of Israel's
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Speaker 1: prophetic hopes. The structure of the Gospel of Matthew reveals
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Speaker 1: a meticulous and organized author qualities we can associate with
36:25
Speaker 1: his prior profession as a tax collector. He arranges his
36:29
Speaker 1: material around five major discourses of Jesus, each concluding with
36:34
Speaker 1: a similar formula when Jesus had finished saying these things.
36:40
Speaker 1: These discourses, the Sermon on the Mount chapters five seven,
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Speaker 1: the Missionary Instructions Chapter ten, the Parables of the Kingdom
36:49
Speaker 1: Chapter thirteen, the Discourse on the Church chapter eighteen, and
36:53
Speaker 1: the Eschatological Discourse chapters twenty four twenty five, serve as
36:58
Speaker 1: structural pillars giving the God Gospel thematic and pedagogical coherence.
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Speaker 1: Matthew's particular focus on Jesus's teachings, especially the Sermon on
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Speaker 1: the Mount, sets his Gospel apart from the other Synoptic Gospels.
37:13
Speaker 1: In Matthew five to seven, he provides the most extensive
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Speaker 1: record of this foundational sermon, where Jesus articulates the ethics
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Speaker 1: of the Kingdom of God. The repeated contrast, you have
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Speaker 1: heard that it was said, but I say to you.
37:27
Speaker 1: Matthew five twenty one, twenty two, twenty seven to twenty eight,
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Speaker 1: thirty three, thirty four, thirty eight, thirty nine, forty three,
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Speaker 1: forty four demonstrates how Jesus did not abolish Jewish law,
37:38
Speaker 1: but deepened its interpretation, emphasizing inner transformation rather than mere
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Speaker 1: external compliance. This approach would have resonated powerfully with Jewish
37:49
Speaker 1: Christians seeking to understand how their faith in Jesus related
37:54
Speaker 1: to their Jewish heritage. Matthew also includes parables and miracles
38:00
Speaker 1: unique to his Gospel. Among the exclusive parables are the
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Speaker 1: Parable of the Weeds thirteen twenty four thirty, The Pearl
38:08
Speaker 1: of Great Value thirteen forty five forty six, The Net
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Speaker 1: thirteen forty seven fifty, The Workers in the Vineyard twenty
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Speaker 1: one sixteen, The Ten Virgins twenty five one thirteen, and
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Speaker 1: The Final Judgment twenty five thirty one forty six. These
38:25
Speaker 1: unique teachings emphasize themes such as spiritual discernment, the supreme
38:30
Speaker 1: value of the kingdom, divine generosity, and the importance of
38:35
Speaker 1: vigilance and moral responsibility, themes particularly relevant to a community
38:40
Speaker 1: striving to define its Christian identity in a Jewish context.
38:44
Speaker 1: After the events recorded in the New Testament, information about
38:48
Speaker 1: Matthew becomes scarcer and relies primarily on early Church traditions.
38:55
Speaker 1: Several traditions speak of his later ministry in different regions.
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Speaker 1: Eusebius of the fourth century Church historian states that Matthew
39:04
Speaker 1: initially preached to the Hebrews, and then when he was
39:07
Speaker 1: about to go to others as well, he transmitted his
39:10
Speaker 1: gospel in his native language. Various traditions associate Matthew with
39:15
Speaker 1: ministries in Ethiopia, Persia, and other regions. The Ethiopian tradition
39:21
Speaker 1: in particular, holds Matthew in high veneration as the apostle
39:26
Speaker 1: who brought Christianity to their land. Other traditions link him
39:31
Speaker 1: to missions in Parthia modern day Iran, and among cannibalistic
39:35
Speaker 1: peoples in the lands of the Anthropophagy, possibly referring to
39:39
Speaker 1: regions around the Black Sea. The different accounts of his
39:43
Speaker 1: martyrdom also reflect the fragmented nature of these ancient traditions.
39:48
Speaker 1: Some sources suggest that he died peacefully, while others describe
39:53
Speaker 1: a violent martyrdom. A widely circulated tradition preserved in the
39:59
Speaker 1: Martyrdom of Saint Matthew recounts that he was killed by
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Speaker 1: order of King Hertcus of Ethiopia after converting the royal
40:07
Speaker 1: family and establishing a Christian community that threatened the pagan
40:11
Speaker 1: monarch's power. While these accounts cannot be historically verified, they
40:16
Speaker 1: testify to the enduring impact of Matthew's figure in the
40:21
Speaker 1: early Church. The lasting influence of the Gospel of Matthew
40:25
Speaker 1: on Christian theology is undeniable. Since the early days of
40:30
Speaker 1: the Church, this gospel has been considered an authoritative source
40:35
Speaker 1: of Jesus teachings and frequently cited by the Church fathers.
40:39
Speaker 1: Its placement as the first book of the New Testament
40:42
Speaker 1: in most Biblical canons reflects its importance to the Christian
40:47
Speaker 1: community over the centuries. The teachings preserved by Matthew, particularly
40:52
Speaker 1: the Sermon on the Mount and the Great Commission, have
40:56
Speaker 1: been fundamental to Christian ethics and the churches understand of
41:00
Speaker 1: its mission in the world. A significant aspect of Matthew's
41:04
Speaker 1: legacy is his role as a bridge between Judaism and
41:09
Speaker 1: the emerging Christianity at a time when these two faith
41:13
Speaker 1: traditions were beginning to separate. The Gospel of Matthew offered
41:17
Speaker 1: a vision that honored Christianity's Jewish roots while affirming the
41:21
Speaker 1: novelty and universality of jesus message. He demonstrated how Jesus
41:26
Speaker 1: did not come to abolish the law and the prophets,
41:29
Speaker 1: but to fulfill them Matthew five point seventeen, a perspective
41:33
Speaker 1: that remains relevant for contemporary interfaith dialogue. Perhaps the most
41:39
Speaker 1: inspiring aspect of Matthew's legacy is his personal example of
41:44
Speaker 1: radical transformation through Christ's calling. His journey from a despised
41:49
Speaker 1: tax collector to a revered apostle remains a powerful testimony
41:54
Speaker 1: to the transformative power of an encounter with Jesus. In
41:58
Speaker 1: his own life, Matthew exemplified the reality of the new
42:02
Speaker 1: creation that Paul would later describe. If anyone is in Christ,
42:06
Speaker 1: he is a new creation. The old has passed away,
42:10
Speaker 1: Behold the New has come second Corinthians five seventeen. The
42:15
Speaker 1: symbolism of his transformation from a collector of material goods
42:20
Speaker 1: to a gatherer of souls continues to inspire believers across generations.
42:25
Speaker 1: The man who once collected taxes for Caesar now invited
42:29
Speaker 1: people into the Kingdom of God. The one who once
42:32
Speaker 1: sat at the tax booth, isolated from his community, now
42:36
Speaker 1: offers the world through his gospel, a seat at the
42:40
Speaker 1: Messianic banquet table, where all are welcome. Matthew's story reminds
42:45
Speaker 1: us that no one is beyond the reach of Christ's
42:48
Speaker 1: transformative grace, and that God often calls the unlikely and
42:53
Speaker 1: the marginalized to become powerful instruments in his work of redemption.
42:58
Speaker 1: If Matthew's story has touched your heart today, don't keep
43:01
Speaker 1: this message to yourself. Subscribe to our channel to continue
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Speaker 1: exploring other inspiring biblical stories that can deepen your faith.
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Speaker 1: Share this video with someone who might need to hear
43:14
Speaker 1: that redemption is possible, that new beginnings exist, and that
43:18
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43:24
Speaker 1: See you in the next video, where we'll bring another
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Speaker 1: biblical story that enlightens, challenges and inspires our faith journey.
43:33
Speaker 1: May Matthew's transformation awaken in you the desire for a
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Speaker 1: life renewed by the power of Jesus, Calling