While St. Matthew eventually became an apostle of Jesus Christ, he initially was a tax collector, a profession that was frequently grouped with sinners. In Jerusalem at that time, tax collectors worked for the despised Roman government, and many lined their pockets by overcharging.
The episode of St. Matthew's calling is fairly brief, as St. Matthew immediately follows Jesus when called:
As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax office; and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him.
And as he sat at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Jesus and his disciples.
Eyes of mercy
St. Bede the Venerable offers a powerful reflection on this story that is featured by the Church's Office of Readings:
Jesus saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax office, and he said to him: Follow me. Jesus saw Matthew, not merely in the usual sense, but more significantly with his merciful understanding of men.
He saw the tax collector and, because he saw him through the eyes of mercy and chose him, he said to him: Follow me. This following meant imitating the pattern of his life – not just walking after him. St. John tells us: Whoever says he abides in Christ ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.
This is significant, as it reminds us that God looks at us differently than other people.
Our family and friends may see us as sinners, but God sees us in the light of his mercy.
St. Bede continues his reflection by pondering how quickly St. Matthew responded to the call:
And he rose and followed him. There is no reason for surprise that the tax collector abandoned earthly wealth as soon as the Lord commanded him. Nor should one be amazed that neglecting his wealth, he joined a band of men whose leader had, on Matthew’s assessment, no riches at all. Our Lord summoned Matthew by speaking to him in words. By an invisible, interior impulse flooding his mind with the light of grace, he instructed him to walk in his footsteps. In this way Matthew could understand that Christ, who was summoning him away from earthly possessions, had incorruptible treasures of heaven in his gift.
What is also interesting is what follows after St. Matthew's conversion:
As he sat at table in the house, behold many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Jesus and his disciples. This conversion of one tax collector gave many men, those from his own profession and other sinners, an example of repentance and pardon. Notice also the happy and true anticipation of his future status as apostle and teacher of the nations. No sooner was he converted than Matthew drew after him a whole crowd of sinners along the same road to salvation.
When we experience God's mercy, we should want to invite others to share in it, not wanting to keep it for ourselves.
As we meditate on the example of St. Matthew, may we imagine Jesus looking at us right now with his merciful gaze, urging us to drop our sinful way of life and to follow him.
Note: Pope Francis' motto -- Miserando atque eligendo ("Having mercy, he called him") -- is drawn from this homily by St. Bede.
