Feast of Saint Matthew, apostle and evangelist
(Ephesians 4:1-7.11-13; Matthew 9:9-13)
John’s gospel can be said to be more sublime. Luke’s gospel, all in all, is probably more
beautiful and Mark’s more passionate. But Matthew’s gospel seems to be the
preferred gospel among people who take their faith seriously. More than the others, Matthew’s gospel
teaches Christians how to follow Christ.
After the narratives of Jesus’ infancy and baptism at the beginning and before
the account of his passion, death, and resurrection at the end, the Gospel of
Matthew gives five expertly formed lessons in discipleship. Each of these lessons has a narrative and a
discourse. They inform readers how to live,
how to evangelize, what the kingdom of God is like, how to be a church, and
what to expect at the end of time.
Today’s passage from Matthew tells how Jesus called a tax-collector
named Matthew to follow him. This man
has been thought to be the writer of the gospel because a second century
scholar mentions a certain Matthew as the collector of sayings of Jesus in
Hebrew. Scholars today, however, see the
author as having written in Greek during the eighth or ninth decade of the
first century. He probably never met
Jesus although he knew a lot about him, especially his Jewish background.
Matthew’s gospel emphasizes the importance of faith. If we are to experience the wonder of Jesus’
works, we must believe in him as Lord.
As Jesus promises at the end of the gospel, he will accompany us until
the end of time. Believing in his
presence, we may turn to him in our need and experience his gracious care.
