ALPHA MAAMA (A.M.)

 Tu’apulelulu ‘Epeleli 15, 2021

So he arose and followed Him

Pea ne tu‘u ‘o muimui kiate ia

Matiu 9 (Matthew 9)

(v. 9) As Jesus passed on from there, He saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, “Follow Me.” So he arose and followed Him.

(v. 9) Pea ‘i he ‘alu ange ‘a Sīsū mei ai, na‘a ne sio ki ha tangata ‘oku nofo ‘i he fale tute, ‘a ia na‘e hingoa ko Mātiu: pea ne pehē kiate ia, Muimui kiate au. Pea ne tu‘u ‘o muimui kiate ia.

 

*Commentary: David Guzik Study Guide on Matthew*

A man named Matthew: Mark 2:14 says that this man was also named Levi the son of Alphaeus. Matthew 10:3 mentions that there was another disciple who was a son of Alphaeus (James, often called James the Less to distinguish him from James the brother of John). So it seems that both this Matthew and his brother James were among the 12.

A man named Matthew sitting at the tax office: Tax collectors were not only notorious sinners; they were also properly regarded as collaborators with the Romans against their fellow Jews. Nobody liked the man who sat at the tax office.

The Jewish people rightly thought of them as traitors because they worked for the Roman government, and they had the force of Roman soldiers behind them to make people pay taxes. They were the most visible Jewish collaborators with Rome.

The Jewish people rightly considered them extortioners because they were allowed to keep whatever they over-collected. A tax collector bid among others for the tax-collecting contract. For example, many tax collectors might want to have the tax contract for a city like Capernaum. The Romans awarded the contract to the highest bidder. The man collected taxes, paid the Romans what he promised, and kept the remainder. Therefore, there was a lot of incentive for tax collectors to over-charge and cheat any way they could. It was pure profit for them.

“He was at this time busy taking, but he was called to a work that was essentially giving.” (Spurgeon)

The old King James Version uses the word publican for a tax-collector. “The publicani were tax-gatherers, and were so called because they dealt with public money and with public funds.” (Barclay)

“A faithful publican was so rare at Rome itself, that one Sabinus, for his honest managing of that office, in an honourable remembrance thereof, had certain images erected with this superscription, For the honest publican.” (Trapp)

And He said to him, “Follow Me”: Understanding how almost everyone hated tax collectors, it is remarkable to see how Jesus loved and called Matthew. It proved to be a well-placed love; Matthew responded to Jesus’ invitation by leaving his tax collecting business and following Jesus – and eventually writing this same gospel account.

“He left his tax-collector’s table; but took from it one thing – his pen…this man, whose trade had taught him to use a pen, used that skill to compose the first handbook of the teaching of Jesus.” (Barclay)

In one way this was more of a sacrifice than some of the other disciples made. Peter, James, and John could more easily go back to their fishing business, but it would be hard for Levi to go back to tax collecting.

There is archaeological evidence that fish taken from the Sea of Galilee were taxed. So Jesus took as His disciple the taxman that may have taken money from Peter, James, and John and the other fishermen among the disciples. This might have made for some awkward introductions.