The Holy Apostle and Evangelist Matthew
1 Corinthians 4:9-16; Matthew 9:9-13
Polyeleos Feast. Nativity Fast
Read Matthew 9:9-13
Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory forever!
Today we celebrate the feast of the Holy Apostle and Evangelist Matthew. In the gospel reading, we hear the account of our Lord calling Matthew to follow Him.
Matthew was a tax collector. Tax collectors were Jews who worked for the Romans, and so their fellow Jews regarded them as traitors. Additionally, they were seen as notorious thieves who would charge more than what was required and pocket the profits. They were despised and considered corrupt people. When the evangelist wrote this gospel, he could have left out this detail about himself to present himself with a clean reputation. However, he made sure to include what his background was when Christ called him to teach us a greater lesson.
In spite of Matthew’s profession, Jesus calls him. Immediately after recounting Matthew’s calling, the gospel proceeds to tell us about an occasion when Jesus dined with all sorts of deplorable people: tax collectors and sinners. In Jesus’ day, there were specific social protocols surrounding meals. It was a big deal whom you dined with because it showed with whom you identified and shared fellowship. When Jesus is criticized for sharing a meal with unholy people and social outcasts, He shifts everyone’s expectations by pointing out the obvious: that it is not the healthy who are in need of a physician but rather the sick.
Christ is the Physician of our souls and our bodies. In spite of our repeated sins and the unholy decisions we make, He still calls us to follow Him, desires to come dwell with us, accepts our repentance with forgiveness, and joins Himself to us in the Eucharistic banquet. Jesus called St. Matthew in spite of his soiled reputation, and through his encounters with Jesus, he was made holy and righteous. Let us pray today for the intercession of St. Matthew that our Lord will heal us from whatever illnesses we carry in our souls or bodies.