The calling of St Matthew

A sermon for the feast of St Matthew, from Mthr Pirrial Clift

Was Matthew, the Apostle and Evangelist, the same man as Levi?  Were they two people? Was Matthew the author of the Gospel attributed to him, or was it that prolific author, Anonymous? The mists of time have blurred the facts about Matthew’s real name and identity. What we do know is that after he stood up and followed Jesus in response to his call, he never looked back: faithfully carrying the Gospel across Judea, then to other places – tradition has it that his life came to an abrupt end in Ethiopia when the reigning monarch ordered his execution. He was murdered whilst celebrating Mass.

Jesus’ presence is a commanding one. According to Matthew’s account, he uttered two words as he strolled past the tax booth: ‘Follow me’. That was enough – as Matthew rose to his feet his entire life was turned around.  I believe this – it doesn’t surprise me. We have multiple accounts of persons ‘hearing’ Jesus’ voice with their inner ears. St Paul is one famous New Testament example, amongst a long line of recorded instances. Granted, sometimes we delude ourselves, and it turns out to be our imagination; but other times the validity of these experiences is manifested by the changes they effect in us, and Jesus’ words become engraved indelibly on our memory.  Others know the Lord has called them without any words at all – and it’s useless to try and argue or reason that call away…it persists, becoming louder, until one responds and rises to Jesus’ challenge as Matthew did, as Francis Thomson described so well in the poem The Hound of Heaven.  Sometimes Jesus speaks to us through Scripture, or via human or angelic messengers – tradition maintains that an angel hovered close by Mathew, whispering in his ear as he penned the Gospel. Jesus adopts various methods of communication; and always his voice is authoritative, compelling.

He has spoken to many of us in one of these ways: and speaks to us all  through the Sacraments in a most powerful way.

Matthew was a tax collector. Many people resent paying taxes: in first-century Jerusalem, tax-collectors were unpopular at best, suspected by their fellow citizens of corruption, greed and collaborating with the hated occupying forces. Hardly surprising, then, that the Pharisees, who tended toward the legalistic, criticised Jesus for socialising with people they judged lacking in religious observance or morals, and that included tax collectors.

Jesus’ response to their disapproval included these words ‘Go and learn what this means; I desire mercy, not sacrifice’, a quote from the prophet Hosea. Scholarly opinion has it that the sacrifice Jesus is referring to in this case is not so much the Temple animal sacrifices, but the sacrifice of time and effort put into the rigorous ascetical practices followed by the Pharisees.  

Jesus has just demonstrated mercy before their eyes, inviting the despised Matthew into his discipleship group; changing his identity in an instant from one who was excluded to one who is included, from being despised to being valued; from being trapped by the power of sin to the freedom of living in love.  This was not simply sentiment or imaginings – the lasting effects of that pivotal moment transformed someone who was ‘on the take’ into a person who gave himself totally to Jesus, even to martyrdom.

The mercy of God. In psalm 85 we read ‘Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other", which to me sings of the Incarnation: God coming to us in Jesus enabling our salvation, restoring and reconciling people to God, and allowing us to grow into the image of Christ by the grace of the Holy Spirit.

The mercy of God. In the book of Exodus, God is revealed to Moses as gracious, slow to anger, abounding in kindness, faithfulness and love – and forgiving sin. These are all attributes of divine mercy.  Lamentations [3.11-23] assures us that ‘the steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning...’

One of my favourite quotes is from William Langland. ‘All the wickedness in the world that humanity may do or think is no more to the mercy of God than a live coal dropped in the sea’

We turn our gaze inward and see our faults and recurring sins: we turn our gaze outwards and see a world awash with pain and tears. But all the wickedness in the world that humanity may do or think is no more to the mercy of God than a live coal dropped in the sea.

No one is beyond the reach of God's mercy.

In the midst of the inferno we can believe in God’s goodness; as the waters rise around us we can trust in his faithfulness and promises; in gravest suffering we can draw on his compassion; In the midst of personal chaos and societal breakdown we are invited to trust Jesus’ forgiveness and mercy utterly…as Matthew did.

Follow me, Jesus said. To hold our heads high and step forward in hope, confident in Jesus’ presence and provision and the Spirit’s guidance anew every day is to discover what it means to live in grace, freedom and true joy.

What is asked of us when we, like Matthew, rise and follow Jesus’ call? Everything. Everything we are, everything we have. In return he gives himself completely to us. His love, his peace – and his boundless mercy.