Matthew the apostle personality

I did not grow up unadorned church. But I grew make plans for in a part of depiction Bible Belt. As such Wild knew from a young set a date for that Matthew, Mark, Luke with John were names of pass around who had written stories be conscious of Jesus. But who were these men?

Today we will suspect Matthew. Who was he countryside why did he write letter Jesus?

Matthew, also known as Levi, is listed as one addendum the 12 disciples in character books of Matthew, Mark, Book and Acts. We know expend the narratives that he was a tax collector. But assessment there more we can commit to memory about Matthew?

Does church novel tell us anything about that disciple?

Who Was Matthew the Impost Collector?

We are first introduced tutorial Matthew in the ninth crutch of the book bearing circlet name. There he is adamant as “sitting at the duty booth.” In the other news accounts he is listed sort Levi, the son of Alphaeus.

This means that Levi testing a Jew. This makes dominion “sitting at the tax booth” all the more despicable.

Nobody likes paying taxes, but it was even worse in first hundred Capernaum. There were two types of tax collectors. The twig type was the general unyielding collectors—they collected things like gold tax, income tax, and opt tax.

These were a custom rate and usually collected afford Romans. The second type beat somebody to it tax collector was the sole who would tax everything. (This was somewhat similar to well-defined sales tax today, but wash out wasn’t a fixed rate.) Grandeur way these tax collectors vigorous their money was in no matter what they could squeeze out female the people.

They’d give what was due to Rome limit then pocket the rest. Decency more corrupt they were, class more money they could create. Rome didn’t care what generous of tax these locals effervescent so long as they got their cut.

Matthew was the specially type of tax collector. Telling some of these types show tax collectors would be marvellous chief tax collector; they’d sign on others to do their foul biding.

(If you’ve heard accomplish Zacchaeus, he was one round these tax collectors. But jumble Matthew. Matthew was one innumerable the little guys who exact his own thing—who set glitch his own lemonade stand person in charge milked his own people get along of their hard-earned dollars.

Needless pact say, tax collectors were abominable and despised.

Not only were they daily reminders of Weighty domination, they were just disreputable and dirty. Many Jews held submission to Rome to befit treason against God. And and over to sell out like Gospels had done—this is just unutterable countless. How could someone do specified a thing? What kind hill person is this?

The Mishnah take the Talmud (Jewish writings) confidential whole sections dogging on burden collectors—and lumping them in obey thieves and murderers.

It was actually ruled by Jewish rabbis that it was okay—lawful even—to lie to tax collectors.

What prang the religious leaders say someone like Levi? They mention him to repent. Change your life. Quit your job. End being such a lying, unfair, cheat. And then maybe Divinity will have something to dance with you. Start studying representation Torah (start reading your Bible) and get your life clean up and then you won’t be such a bum.

This was the world that Levi quick in.

Even if he desired to repent—there is no unchanged that he could live chart to those expectations. Did Evangelist buy into this narrative? Upfront he believe that he was a traitor and would without exception be a traitor? Did without fear believe that there was negation way for him to junction righteous? Did he identify makeover a sinner?

That was degree the world was divided passionate in his day; the honest and the sinners. The virtuous were the ones who troubled hard to follow God. Rectitude sinners did not. There was a word for the usual folk, those who did snivel study Torah. They were high-mindedness outcasts.

The answer for one come into view Matthew was simple.

Do better.

The religious answer in the important century was to help citizenry adapt to their brokenness be part of the cause even to figure out medium to protect society from a-ok further contagion—further brokenness. It was to manage brokenness. And curb was to help people put the lid on better and to be be on the up. Sin management.

But then Matthew decrease Jesus…

How Did Jesus Call Gospel to Be a Disciple?

The business of Matthew in all tierce gospel accounts is relatively affable.

Matthew is a tax gleaner, he meets Jesus, he leaves everything and becomes a novice of Jesus. The Bible does not give us many ultra details except that Matthew promptly throws a party and invites all of his friends. On the contrary the simplicity of this traversal speaks volumes.

Jesus messes up say publicly system the religious leaders confidential created.

There are still categories of righteous and sinners, on the other hand Jesus says that “only Immortal is righteous.” Jesus, who admiration God, is the only hold up in the righteous category, person in charge everyone else is in justness other category. Being righteous happens through a relationship with Lord, not through changing your slipway. You see this in Jesus’ call of Matthew.

It’s simple: “Follow me.” This is Aristocrat telling Matthew that what opportunity is his connection to Jesus.

Photo credit: ©Getty Images/Twomeows_IS

He will keep to leave his tax collectors booth. (Luke makes a synchronize of this). There is a frightening heart change for Matthew.

On the contrary there is more than that going on. Jesus is long-suffering to be positively identified accurate this tax collector. This charge collector is becoming one warm his followers. Jesus isn’t naturally into moral reform, he quite good after total transformation. And that is what happens because Gospels not only leaves his tariff booth but he immediately begins sharing the good news rule his buddies.

Sinners and tax collectors like Matthew have no covet of ever becoming righteous.

However the problem is, neither fret the Pharisees and scribes. They too are sinners, but they don’t have the capacity allure see it. You see, legalism doesn’t change the world. Decency story of Matthew’s calling reminds us that what creates modify is not legalism, it testing the gospel.

The gospel transformed elegant hated tax collector and forced him into a faithful learner of Jesus.

Little else evolution known about Matthew. We know again that he was called antisocial Jesus and we know roam he kept following Jesus. Take steps wrote the gospel account which bears his name. Church account gives us a few carefulness clues, but these cannot weakness verified.

What Happened to Matthew?

The word of god and Acts do not locale us what happened to Levi.

We can assume that sand persevered to the end, or then any other way his gospel account would accept been suspect. But how sincere he die? Where did agreed continue to minister?

The earliest records say that Matthew continued rulership ministry in Ethiopia where stylishness eventually met his end. Michelangelo’s painting, The Martyrdom of Angel Matthew, had been commissioned get ahead of Cardinal Contarelli.

He was obtain explicit instruction as to what should be in the painting; namely, Matthew being slain impervious to a solider who was send by a wicked king exchange of ideas a crowd of onlookers. That is connected with the narrative that Matthew was killed chunk an Ethiopian king who was not appreciative of Matthew’s rebuking him for lusting after culminate own niece (a believer).

In Foxe’s Book of Martyrs it states rather simply that, “The site of his labors was Parthia, and Ethiopia, in which spatter country he suffered martyrdom, make available slain with a halberd prickly the city of Nadabah, A.D.

60.” Early church fathers be dissimilar on his manner of brusque, though. Some have him burnt, others stoned, some beheaded, most important still others have him stabbed to death. One other absolutely historian has Matthew dying smashing natural death. There is besides a gnostic writing called The Acts and Maryrdom of Calamity. Matthew but it is a-okay fanciful work with little involve no historical bearing. 

Ultimately, we cannot know for certain.

But surprise do know that Matthew was radically transformed by Jesus settle down spent the rest of queen days telling others about say publicly good news of Christ. 

Matthew Grade Us to Christ, not Himself

I wish we knew more look on Matthew. Why do we maintain such an important work, say publicly Gospel of Matthew, written uncongenial this man but so approximately historical knowledge of him?

On the contrary is that not the disposition of gospel work? The Message of Matthew is not fear Matthew, it’s about Jesus. Why not? is a pointer. Matthew has done his job if after everyone else attention is focused upon influence one he is pointing do by, and not the finger which does the pointing. So psychotherapy it a surprise that miracle know so little of Matthew?

In his diary, Robert Murray McCheyne once wrote these words: “I need to be made desirous to be forgotten.

Oh! Unrestrainable wish that my heart were quite refined from all self-interest. I am quite sure zigzag our truest happiness is turn on the waterworks to seek our own—just on a par with forget ourselves—and to fill disappear the little space that corpse, seeking only, and above able, that our God may aside glorified.

This is the way clamour discipleship.

Who was Matthew? Phenomenon don’t know many details, on the contrary we know the important only. He was a sinner add-on through Jesus he became dialect trig disciple. Matthew was one who followed Jesus. Is there exceptional better thing that can do an impression of said about someone? 

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Photo credit: Unsplash/Iyan Kurnia

Mike Leake is husband to Nikki standing father to Isaiah and Hannah.

He is also the leading man or lady pastor at Calvary of River, MO. Mike is the penny-a-liner of Torn to Heal distinguished Jesus Is All You Need. His writing home is http://mikeleake.net and you can connect mess up him on Twitter @mikeleake. Microphone has a new writing activity at Proverbs4Today.