Grace and Space

Mt 9:9-13

Matthew: “Matthew” comes from the Hebrew or Aramaic matai, a shortened form of matatiya, meaning “gift of Yahweh.” He was a tax collector before he became a follower of Jesus. In Mark and Luke, the tax collector is called Levi. Do they refer to the same historical character? It is argued that Jews would at times carry two names, and “Matthew” may have been added to Levi after he became a disciple of Jesus, just like “Peter” was added to Simon.
The gospel reading does not specify the location of Matthew’s customs post. If Matthew was Levi, he was at the service of Herod Antipas near or at Capernaum. He collected taxes on merchandise carried over the Damascus-Acre road and perhaps the fishing industry in Lake Galilee where the brothers Simon and Andrew and the sons of Zebedee engaged in fishing. Tax collectors were hated by the people and labeled as “sinners” by the teachers of the Law. Jesus, therefore, creates a scandal when he calls Matthew. By this action, Jesus shows that God prefers forgiveness and gratuitous love over prescriptions of legal and ritual purity. Matthew eventually leaves his profession to become one of the Twelve (apostles).
The apostle Matthew is credited with the Gospel that bears his name. In the middle of the second century, Papias records: “Matthew collected sayings in the Hebrew tongue, but each man translated them as he was able.” But this passage cannot refer to our Gospel. Besides, the author seems not to be a firsthand eyewitness (Mt 9:9) and he depends much on the Gospel of Mark. The ascription of the Gospel to “Matthew” may simply suggest that Matthew the tax collector was a familiar figure to the community that stands behind the Gospel, and that certain accounts of Jesus may have been ascribed to him.