The Call of Matthew/Levi (Mt. 9:9-13)

As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the customs post. He said to him, “Follow me.” And he got up and followed him. 10 While he was at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat with Jesus and his disciples. 11 The Pharisees saw this and said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” 12 He heard this and said, “Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do. 13 Go and learn the meaning of the words, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.”

Capernaum was located on the busy Damascus road where the provinces of the half-brothers Philip the Tetrarch and Herod Antipas touched.  Hence the location of the custom house where the publicans (tax collectors) collected tolls and dues on behalf of the chief tax collector (Lk. 19:2) who bought the right from the State to collect taxes.  As a result of the tax laws not being clearly defined, and the greed of the tax collectors and their masters, abuses occurred.  They often charged more than was legally due and pocketed the difference.  They were disliked by the Jews because they worked for the Roman authorities.  The Romans were an oppressive occupying force.  Tax collectors were considered disloyal and their collaboration with the Romans was considered treasonous by the Jews.  Tax collectors were social outcasts.

Jesus left Capernaum after healing a paralytic and called Matthew a tax collector to follow him.  Matthew is called Levi in the other Synoptic Gospels of Mark and Luke.  The Gospel stated that Matthew immediately got up and followed Jesus.  Matthew most likely had prior knowledge of Jesus, just as Simon Peter and Andrew had, and was ready to follow Jesus.  Matthew gave a banquet and invited Jesus.  Many of Matthew’s old business acquaintances, tax collectors, and those whom the Pharisees considered ‘sinners’ came and sat with Jesus (vv. 10-11).  The Pharisees did not address Jesus directly but directed their comments to his disciples.  Jesus heard them and said that he came to save sinners, the outcasts, and he could not do so unless he exposed himself to them in the same way a doctor must expose himself to sick people to physically heal them.  However, by exposing himself to sinners the Pharisees saw Jesus as also being ritually unclean.  Jesus told them to read and understand what the prophet Hosea meant when he said, “For it is loyalty that I desire, not sacrifice, and knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings (Hos. 6:6).”  God prefers devotion based on a true internal conversion of the heart rather than showing false piety by the external observance of the Mosaic Law.  It is through the mercy of God that sinners are saved, not through sacrifice. 

Almighty God, you call each of us and patiently wait for us to turn to you and accept your grace and boundless mercy.  Help us to acknowledge our own sinfulness and respond to your love with contrite and humble hearts so that you may cleanse and welcome your servants into your kingdom when our toil is done.  This we pray through Christ our Lord.  Amen!

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References
Chiu, José Enrique Aguilar, et al. The Paulist Biblical Commentary. Paulist Press, 2018.
Brown, Raymond Edward, et al. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Upper Saddle River, NJ, United States, Prentice Hall, 1990.

                Orchard, Bernard, et al. A Catholic Commentary on Holy Scripture. Feb. 1953.