Sep 21 2019 Matthew 9: 9-13 Commemoration of St. Matthew

As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth.I have a warm spot in my heart for St. Matthew. I was baptized and confirmed at a church named St. Matthew’s, and I had the joy to serve at a church named St. Matthew’s with wonderful people. Spending so much time at churches with Matthew’s name, I’ve thought about Matthew and what he has to teach me now.

Matthew was one of the original disciples. But he wasn’t a poor fisherman. He wasn’t a political zealot, fighting against the horrible Roman occupying force. Rather, he was a tax collector. If that meant what it means now, it might not be as startling, but it was a different job back then.

In this occupied country, tax collectors were frequently Jews, who took money from fellow Jews to hand over to the Romans. In this respect, they were seen as traitors or sell-outs. I can imagine they were seen somewhat like modern day strike-busting scabs, who cross picket lines to work for the company, against which their companions were striking and not getting paid.

Not only were they sell-outs, I’ve read that tax collectors were not given a salary by the Romans for whom they collected the money. Any money they made came directly from overcharging their fellow countrymen – effectively extortion. And everyone knew it. So they were making money off the backs of their own people, to hand it over to the occupying forces. All of this was perfectly fine for the Romans, who didn’t want to be in the mucky business of tax collector, and all of this was perfectly horrid for the community members with whom the collectors lived.

Matthew was called, and immediately he got up and followed Jesus. After this brief and powerful call story, Jesus is eating dinner with ‘many tax-collectors and sinners’. Clearly, tax collectors were seen as another kind of sinner, along with the ritually unclean, and whoever else Jesus companioned. And as he was eating with this motley crew, the Pharisees predictably show up and critically question why he’s eating with them, implying he clearly should not be.

From my corner of the US, it seems that if Jesus came today to call a Matthew-type, he might be calling someone from the dreaded 1%, of the Occupy Movement, the bankers or business men who make money off of the rest of us.

How intriguing that we have a model of a disciple who’s part of the ancient day establishment, the corrupt money makers. What this says to me is that disciples can be found anywhere, in the 99% and in the 1%.
  

This morning, I’m thinking about when Jesus calls us, no one is outside the realm of discipleship – not the leper, not the extortionist. I get the sense that we, like the Pharisees imagine that the 1% are beyond grace, they should be counted among the worst sinners. To be clear, I’m not condoning extortion, or making money off the poor, or betraying common decency for personal gain. But that’s what Matthew did. And Jesus called him.

Who are we to decide that the modern-day extortionists and money makers are beyond that call? Do I really want to be like a Pharisee, and look down on the sinners that Jesus calls? Whether they’re addicts, criminals, or the 1%? It is definitely true that Matthew responded to Jesus’ call, and followed him, presumably giving up all is previous shenanigans. There is some expectation of a response and repenting for all of these sinners. But today, I want to strive to see that all people can be called and loved by God. Even Matthew and the 1%.