No one cares for tax collectors whether they’re Roman or American. But at least in America, our tax dollars grant us fire and police protection, roadway updates, etc. Not so with Roman taxes in Jesus’ day. The only thing the Jews of Israel received were more Roman soldiers marching about to intimidate.

Rome required a certain amount of tax; anything above that became profit for the collector. To add insult to injury, Rome usually hired Jews to be the tax collectors. Two strikes against the TC. Fellow Jews looked upon them as traitors.  Our friend Matthew [from last week’s post] may have been wealthy,  but as a tax collector, he was detested.

I imagine him as he sits at his collecting table by the Sea of Galilee. He draws great income there along the east/west trading route, not to mention collecting revenue from those coming in by sea. No doubt the locals loathe his presence in their town of Capernaum.

However, even though the townspeople ignore him and he likewise avoids them, he can’t help but notice Jesus. Matthew hears Jesus’ teaching as he passes by the booth. He watches Jesus launch out in a boat and turn back to the crowd in order to  preach to them as they line the shore. Jesus’ attitude isn’t belligerent, degrading, or bitter like most of the people in town. His teachings speak of love and forgiveness. Besides the teaching, perhaps Matthew also sees, with his own eyes, a lame man healed by the miracle worker.

On one special day, Matthew sees Jesus approaching his booth. Jesus comes straight to Matthew and looks him in the eye.  Well, here’s the way Matthew tells the story:

As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth. “Follow me,” he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him. Matt. 9:9

That’s it. Zip, zip. “Follow me” and he got up and followed him. This begs a back story. I gave you a little bit, but there has to be more. This is one of those many times in Scripture where I wish we had more details. Then I remember what John said:

Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written. John 21:25

Still, the Lord has given me a passion to stop, consider the people Jesus touched along the way, and to wonder how his touch upon their lives changed them from what they were to what he could make of them. What was the rest of their story?

Let’s look at this same account from Mark’s gospel:

Once again Jesus went out beside the lake. A large crowd came to him, and he began to teach them. As he walked along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax collector’s booth. “Follow me,” Jesus told him, and Levi got up and followed him. Mark 2:13-14

Say what? Is he Matthew or is he Levi? Luke also calls him “Levi.” And did you notice he is son of Alphaeus? Do you remember last week in the list of apostles, one was named James son of Alphaeus? Do we have another pair of brothers here? Are the other disciples going to accept this tax collector? What will the people say? The plot thickens!

They’re certainly not going to be happy with what Matthew and Jesus do next. To be continued…

~ Joyce ~