The calling of St. Matthew gives all of us hope, as he represents the calling of all sinners and was able to give up everything and follow Jesus.
Among the twelve apostles, St. Matthew stands out as one of the more unusual men Jesus invited into a life of discipleship. He was not a fisherman like many of the others. In fact, he held a public office that many despised at the time.
St. Matthew was a tax collector, a profession that was looked down upon by most people in first-century Palestine. This was due in part to the fact that tax collectors had to handle "impure money," since it was collected by the pagan Roman government that occupied the area.
Tax collectors were also viewed as sinners because many of them were unjust in their dealings, keeping back some of the money to enrich themselves. They were associated with "extortioners, unjust, adulterers" (Luke 18: 11).
When St. Matthew invited Jesus into his own home, the Pharisees said, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?" (Matthew 9:10)
Suffice it to say that Jesus calling Mathew to be a disciple was not seen favorably by most people, especially those in religious power.
Why it's good news for us
While it may not have looked good for Jesus in the 1st century, the calling of Matthew is actually great news for us. What it means is that Jesus is not looking for perfect, pious human beings to be in close relationship with him.
Instead, he is calling us -- sinners.
He even said as much very plainly: "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners" (Matthew 9:12-13).
Sometimes we can get disappointed in ourselves, especially when we continually fall into the same sins. We may even stay away from the Church, thinking that only "holy" people go to Mass on Sunday.
Yet the truth is that Jesus wants everyone, especially sinners like us, to come into a deeper relationship with him. He is the divine physician who can only heal those people who recognize their sins.
A physician can't heal someone who thinks they are perfectly healthy. If we were to walk into the doctor's office and tell the doctor that we don't have any ailments, the doctor would not do anything. The doctor would probably walk out of the room and simply wish us well.
We need to recognize our own sins and our need for God's mercy. Then and only then can Jesus heal us and make us whole once more.
This is why it's good news that Jesus called Matthew, as this call represents an open invitation to us to do precisely what Matthew did. We are called to leave our sinful way of life behind and to embrace a life in Christ.
If you feel unworthy of Jesus' love, call upon St. Matthew's aid. He knows the feeling and can help us overcome our reluctance to come before God, letting God cleanse us of our sins.
