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Ephesians 4:1-7, 11-13
Matthew 9:9-13

As Jesus passed by,
He saw a man named Matthew sitting at the customs post.
He said to him, “Follow me.”
And he got up and followed him.

This story about the call of Matthew, brief as it is, actually reveals quite a lot about who Matthew was, if you read between the lines.

Matthew worked as a customs official in Capernaum, a fishing village on the north shore of the Sea of Galilee. Until I actually visited the ruins of Capernaum I could never understand what a customs official could find to do in a fishing village.

The answer is all about location. Capernaum was situated at an important crossroad along the King’s Highway, a trade route of vital importance to the ancient Middle East. It began in Egypt, and stretched across the Sinai Peninsula to Aqaba. From there it turned northward, leading to Damascus and the Euphrates River. Matthew’s job was to collect the Roman imposed customs tax from each caravan that passed by his post along the highway.

Further on in today’s Gospel reading we learn that Jesus and his disciples went to eat at Matthew’s house and while they were there tax collectors and sinners came and sat with Jesus and his disciples, where it seems they were joined by a group of Pharisees. Matthew must have had a good size house!

The evidence in this reading suggests that Matthew was a successful man who made a good living. His good living had a downside though. He was regarded as a sinner and might not have been very well liked by his more “respectable” neighbors.

What made him a sinner even if he was an honest man? He was a tool of the occupying power, the Romans. He had to handle what his neighbors regarded as dirty money, currency with pagan symbols and pictures of the Emperor on it. Finally, many customs officials and tax collectors were notoriously corrupt so his whole profession had a bad reputation.

When Jesus passed by and saw Matthew he would have known all of this and more. But Jesus saw the real Matthew, who he really was and who he could be and he said, “Follow me.”

Matthew’s response to the call of Jesus is the most telling of all. It shows that Jesus was right about him. Matthew got up immediately and followed him, leaving behind both the good and the bad of his life.

What’s in this for us? Like most of us, Matthew lived in the gray zone. He made compromises to get by. We can identify with his situation in one way or another. Everyday, Jesus sees us, sees who we really are, just as he saw Matthew. He passes by and says, “Follow me.” Matthew’s response can be an example for us.

Sister Mary Ann Strain, CP lives in Union City, NJ and helps represent the Passionists at the United Nations.

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