Daily Gospel Reflection
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September 21, 2019
As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth; and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he got up and followed him.
And as he sat at dinner in the house, many tax collectors and sinners came and were sitting with him and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
But when he heard this, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have come to call not the righteous but sinners.”
The gospel today draws my attention to an action and a call to action. Actions are the things that we choose to do, and a call to action is a challenge to each of us to uphold a duty that is given to us by God.
First, I’d like to focus on the action in the passage. Jesus looks upon tax collectors and sinners and says, “Follow me.” In this action, we see those who have made the wrong choices take the first steps forward in making the right choices. Jesus’ voice echoes to all of us: “Follow me.” Each of us, regardless of our sin, must make the choice to follow.
The second part is a call to action. Jesus tells the onlookers to learn the meaning of the phrase ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ Here, Jesus calls us into action to not only understand the difference between mercy and sacrifice but to further his mission by acting mercifully. Jesus shows us this difference at the beginning of the gospel. In telling the tax collector to follow him, he demonstrates the selfless love found within the virtue of mercy. Whereas sacrifice requires a self-righteous look into what I must give up, mercy calls us to direct righteousness outward, towards others. As the onlookers question Jesus for sharing a meal with sinners, he symbolizes mercy rather than sacrifice. Jesus says, with his actions, that mercy should be afforded to all, even those who have sinned. For sinners, above all others, require mercy.
Jesus’ call is something we can put into action every day. Rather than sacrifice, he calls us to focus on mercy. Rather than self-righteousness, he calls us to selflessness. Only those of us who recognize that we are sinners can heed this call and, once we do, we realize that the mercy we receive is far greater than the mercy we give.
Prayer
“Follow me.” Lord, you spoke two simple words and they changed Matthew’s life forever. You speak those same words to each one of us “Follow me” and our response changes our lives forever. Thank you for inviting us to follow you. Like Matthew, the tax collector, help us know our own “sickness” and thus our great need for you. Help us to know our need for your mercy which you give to us freely and without reservation. We pray this through Christ Our Lord. Amen.
Saint of the Day
Despite his role as a despised tax collector, St. Matthew was called by Jesus to become one of his closest followers.
All tax collectors were hated in Judea because they were greedy and extortionist. Jewish tax collectors like Matthew were especially reviled because they gathered taxes for the occupying and oppressive Roman government. Jewish families generally refused to marry into a family that claimed a tax collector among them. Tax collectors were excluded from religious worship and barred from business and civil affairs.
Yet, Jesus passed by Matthew’s customs post and said to him, “Follow me.” And Matthew got up and followed him (Mt 9:9).
Matthew’s post was in Capernaum, where, for a time, Jesus had lived, preached, and worked miracles, so we can assume that Matthew had heard of Jesus and perhaps even listened to him before their encounter. Perhaps Matthew secretly longed to give his life over to the kingdom of God described by this man who worked wonders. When he finally came face to face with Jesus, he jumped at the chance—the personal invitation from Jesus must have been the opportunity Matthew was looking for. He left everything—his occupation and his relationships—in an instant.
Matthew was counted among the 12 disciples, and is traditionally cited as the author of a book of the Gospels.
The four evangelists are depicted by symbols that come from Ezekiel and the book of Revelation. John is represented by the eagle because his Gospel begins with high-minded, soaring theology of the Word made flesh. Mark is depicted by the lion because his Gospel begins with John the Baptist crying out in the wilderness (like a lion); Jesus also often appears with royal, king-like dignity in his Gospel. Luke is shown as an ox because of the importance of sacrifice in his Gospel. Matthew is symbolized by a man or angel because he begins the Gospel with the genealogy of Jesus, emphasizing his humanity.
A number of relics of St. Matthew rest in the reliquary chapel in the Basilica, where he is also depicted in several places. St. Matthew is also shown in this stained glass window from the chapel of the Stayer Center for Executive Education because he is patron saint of those who work with finances. This small window in the Morrissey Hall chapel (above) shows the saint as well.
St. Matthew, you were the reviled tax collector who became patron saint of those who work with finances—pray for us!