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.”
When Jesus passes by the tax collector’s booth and says, “Follow me,” Matthew rises immediately and follows Him (Mt 9:9). This single verse conveys a profound truth: when Christ speaks, it is not merely an external invitation—it is a summons that pierces the heart and draws the soul: “the word of God is living and effective… piercing even between soul and spirit” (Heb 4:12). Tax collectors were despised by Jews for colluding with Roman authorities and for often engaging in extortion. Yet Jesus sees beyond reputation and sin, summoning a man whom others had written off. According to early Christian writers like St. Bede the Venerable, an English Benedictine monk and theologian (c. 673 to 735 A.D.), Christ’s call was not just heard outwardly—it reached inwardly with divine power. Matthew, like many in Israel, may have already heard of Jesus, and in the depths of his conscience, longed for something more than wealth and social rejection. When Jesus called, that longing awakened—and he left everything behind.
Matthew’s readiness reveals something important about divine grace. God’s call often comes before we are prepared or “worthy.” As Jesus Himself said, “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him” (Jn 6:44). This kind of grace—often called prevenient grace—goes before us, stirring the heart to respond. We do not earn the call; we receive it. However, not everyone who is called responds. The mystery of freedom remains: grace invites, but we must still choose out of love.
Later, Jesus dines at Matthew’s house with other tax collectors and sinners. This draws criticism from the Pharisees, who ask the disciples why Jesus would associate with such people. Jesus responds with both clarity and mercy: “Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do. Go and learn the meaning of the words, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ I did not come to call the righteous but sinners” (Mt 9:12–13, cf. Hos 6:6).
In quoting Hosea, Jesus recalls a prophetic cry for sincere love rather than empty ritual. Sacrifice without mercy—religion without compassion—is not what God desires. Jesus is not minimizing the seriousness of sin, but revealing His mission: to heal, not to condemn.
This passage touches on deep biblical themes. Just as God called Abraham from his homeland (Gen 12:1), Moses from the burning bush (Ex 3:4), and Isaiah from a life of uncleanness (Is 6:5–8), so Jesus now calls Matthew—not because he is righteous, but because he is ready to be transformed. It echoes Paul’s words: “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom 5:8).
At the heart of the Gospel is this: God comes to us where we are, but never leaves us there. Matthew left behind his seat of compromise to follow the Truth. His journey reminds us that Christ still passes by—calling us, healing us, and drawing us to something greater than we ever imagined.
Lord Jesus, You called Matthew from a life of compromise into the freedom of following You. Call me from indifference and self-reliance, into Your Divine mercy. Give me the courage to rise when You speak, and to walk in the path of healing and grace. Amen!
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Sources and References:
- The Holy Bible, New American Bible, Revised Edition (2011).
- A Catholic Commentary on Holy Scripture, ed. Orchard et al. (1953).
- The Paulist Biblical Commentary, ed. Chiu et al. (2018).
- The Navarre Bible: St. Matthew, University of Navarre (2008).
- The New Jerome Biblical Commentary, ed. Brown et al. (1990).
- St. Bede the Venerable, Homilies on the Gospels, I.21.
- St. John Chrysostom, Homilies on the Gospel of Matthew, 30.1.
- Hosea 6:6; Genesis 12:1; Exodus 3:4; Isaiah 6:5–8; Romans 5:8.
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