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NewThru30 :: Meet Matthew

Do you feel that your life is in too many shambles to attend church? Do you have too much junk in your life to take to church? Then you are probably right! I have began to understand why people (that I have spoken with) think that they have to “clean up their lives” to began attending church. I realize that their mess won’t work in church. Luckily what didn’t work in church works perfectly for Christ.

Everyone remembers being on the playground when you picked teams for kickball. You didn’t want to get picked last but you definitely just wanted to get picked. Jesus Christ goes through Galilee with flocks of people behind him and hand selects eleven of the twleve men to be on His “team”. He hand selects eleven guys that don’t belong in church. In fact as we meet Matthew, Matthew was not allowed into synagogues or temples, which was their “church”.

Meet Matthew::
Finally, let me introduce you to Jesus’ hand picked riff-raff, Matthew. Matthew was a tax collector. Now when I say that, it’s hard for me make this tangible for our culture and our understanding. I mean we all complain about paying taxes but I don’t know if we can understand about tax collectors in this day and age, ever. There were two types of tax collectors, Gabbai and Mokhes. Gabbai basically collected property taxes, income taxes, and so forth. Gabbai collected assessed taxes so it wasn’t deemed as bad to be a Gabbai tax collector because these taxes were based on an “assessment” of value, much as our homes and personal income is today. But then, then there was the Mokhes. There were Great Mokhes and Little Mokhes. The Great Mokhes were basically “tax contractors” which would hire Little Mokhes to go to each person, face to face to collect tax. Here is where it gets sketchy. The Mokhes had bargained a deal out with the Romans that they would get the Roman tax but add a little bit for their own pockets making this one of the most lucrative industries in that culture. So it went like this: the Romans tax, plus the Great Mokhes tax, plus the Little Mokhes tax is what you had to pay. Guess what Matthew was? A Little Mokhes. He was the guy that dealt with each person face to face and “overcharged” them to make his pockets bigger. They often would forcefully take this money from everyone with the use of thugs, bullies, or hired hands. Before Matthew sought after this lucrative career as a tax collector, which he chose for simple materialism, personal gain, and wealth, he was born Jewish. His Jewish name was Levi. As you will see later on in Luke. Luke will refer to him as Matthew and as Levi. Matthew was completely cast away from his family, his people, and everything that he had ever known when he chose this new career as a tax collector. Being born Jewish and chasing after wealth, personal gain and being materialistic was really worse those days than being born a Gentile. Due to upbringing, many would say “Matthew knew better, he was raised by the right Jewish parents.” I believe that this upbringing (much as I believe with children today) would create that yearning for God when he lost his connection to his family, to his temple, and to his faith. This is also why I believe Matthew digs so deeply into the Old Testament throughout his life. In my imagination, I think of Matthew sitting in his tax collectors office taking in money when the door chimes and someone walks in. But when no body is looking he quietly sneeks out his Old Testament bible and reads. He reads and reads and he reads and reads. Longing for something that he thought he would find as he sought after wealth. So it was no surprise to me in Matthew 9:9, when Jesus said to him “Follow Me” that he did not hesitate for one second to drop everything and take off. I believe that Matthew was spiritually starving. When Jesus commanded Matthew to follow him, Matthew gave up everything. In fact, look at the very next verse, Matthew 9:10. Matthew threw a massive dinner party or banquet for Jesus. If you are confused by this verse, Luke will clarify it in Luke 5:29 saying: Levi [Matthew] gave Him [Jesus] a great feast in his own house. So Matthew, completely in awe that Christ, the Messiah, asked him to “Come, Follow Me” threw this huge party in Jesus’ honor but invited a bunch of hookers and other tax collectors. That has to make you laugh a little but that is the only people that Matthew knew. No one else, in his family, in his Jewish faith, in his life had anything to do with him any longer because of a choice that he made.

In conclusion, Matthew wrote the Book that bears his name with a Jewish audience in mind. Matthew quotes the Old Testament ninety-nine times, which will be more than all of Mark, Luke, and John combined. Matthew knew the Old Testament inside and out. He believed in God. He looked for the Messiah and dropped everything when he met Jesus. When he wasn’t able to attend church or go to the temples to worship, he sought after God in scripture. If you find yourself relating to Matthew, this is my advice to you. Seek after God in scripture and prayer. No one can can prevent you from doing that. Feed your yearning to get closer to God by His Word, find a church that you can get plugged into and begin to minister yourself through volunteering and so forth but most of all take a look at Matthew’s example that he has left for us all to take a long lesson from. Matthew’s life should be a distinct, vivid reminder to us that when we think that we are completely worthless and not needed for anything that we may very well be in perfect position to be used by an amazing God.

As always, I will invite you to be my guest this Sunday at www.onelifeknox.com. If you decline, I encourage you to dive into God’s Word and seek him for yourself. Last thought: Look up Matthew 6:33.