Matthew the tax collector

Wednesday,
September 21, 2016
Feast of St.
Matthew, Apostle
First Reading: Eph 4:1–7, 11–13
Gospel Reading: Mt 9:9-13

As Jesus moved on, he saw a man named Matthew at his seat in the custom-house, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And Matthew got up and followed him. Now it happened, while Jesus was at table in Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and other sinners joined Jesus and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this they said to his disciples, “Why is it that your master eats with those sinners and tax collectors?”When Jesus heard this he said, “Healthy people do not need a doctor, but sick people do.

Go and find out what this means: What I want is mercy, not sacrifice. I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.”

D@iGITAL-EXPERIENCE
(Daily Gospel in the Assimilated Life Experience)

Matthew was a tax collector. Under the arrangement of tax collection in those times he only had to remit a fixed amount to a financial procurator. In exchange he was empowered to collect from his own people the taxes he saw fit to collect. He could collect taxes on real properties, agricultural products and commercial goods and amass wealth for himself in the process – wealth that could equal to many times the fixed amount remitted to the procurator.

For oppressing his own people he was considered a traitor. Still he held on to his job. The wealth he derived from his office was rewarding enough to make him ignore whatever rejection he experienced. But when Jesus came to his life, his priority shifted. There were so many teachers and rabbis in those times, but it was only for Jesus that Matthew abandoned his post. This sacrifice was really big for two reasons. First, he had to give up so much income. Second, people made it difficult for him to follow Jesus because they simply hated him to the bone. Sincerity made him surmount these. From being a selfish taker from others, Matthew became a total self-giver in the company of Jesus.

People thought that Matthew was a lost soul. Yet he sprang a surprise by responding to Jesus. In principle hardened sinners lose the capacity to respond to God. Under this principle Matthew did the impossible. Either he was not really a hardened sinner after all or God’s grace was just too lavish on him as to override this principle. We go for the latter. While it is true that sin renders a person incapable of responding to God, not even this escapes God’s life-giving grace. Where God pours lavishly his grace upon, life returns and the spiritually dead regains his capacity to respond.

Matthew gave up so much. What can we give up make way for God in our lives? – (Atty.) Rev. Fr. Dan Domingo P. delos Angeles, Jr., DM, MMExM, MAPM, REB. Email: [email protected].

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