Daily Word: Matthew 9:9-13 – The Call of the Tax Collector | Feast of St. Matthew, Sept 21

Matthew 9:9-13 (Feast of Saint Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist – Year A)

“As Jesus passed by, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the customs post. He said to him, ‘Follow me.’ And he got up and followed him.” (Matthew 9:9)

The call of Matthew is one of the most shocking scenes in the Gospels. Jesus does not call a fisherman. He does not call a scholar. He calls a tax collector — a man despised by his own people, a collaborator with the Roman occupiers, a man who had grown rich by extracting money from his brothers.

And Jesus says only two words: “Follow me.”

Matthew does not ask a single question. He does not negotiate the terms. He does not ask where they are going, how long it will take, or what he will receive. The Gospel says simply: “He got up and followed him.” One verb, one movement, one moment. Everything before was preparation; everything after was consequence.

The Man at the Customs Post: Telōnēs and Telōnion (v. 9)

The Greek word for “tax collector” is telōnēs — a publican, a collector of tolls, a man who worked for the Roman administration. The Greek word for “customs post” is telōnion — the booth, the table, the place of business.

Matthew was sitting at a telōnion — a symbol of everything his people hated. He was not merely a sinner in the moral sense; he was a traitor. The tax collectors were classed with robbers, murderers, and prostitutes in the rabbinic lists. They were excluded from the synagogue. Their testimony was not accepted in court. They were, in the eyes of Israel, unclean.

And Jesus walks by. He sees him. And He calls him.

This is the scandal of grace. God does not call the worthy; He makes worthy those He calls. He does not wait for Matthew to clean himself up first. He calls him in the midst of his sin, at his table, with his ledger open.

The Two Words That Changed Everything: Akoloutheō (v. 9)

The Greek verb for “follow” is akoloutheō — to accompany, to walk the same road, to become a disciple. It is not merely to walk behind someone physically. It is to share their destiny. It is to entrust your entire future to the one you follow.

Matthew hears this word and does not hesitate. The Greek verb for “got up” is anistēmi — to rise, to stand up, to be raised. It is the same verb used for the resurrection. It is the verb of new life. Matthew does not merely leave his booth; he rises from the dead.

And the text adds: “He got up and followed him.” There is no record of Matthew speaking a word. His obedience is his confession. His rising is his creed. He leaves behind the money, the power, the security, and the shame — and he follows.

The Banquet of Sinners: Hamartōlos and Synanakeimai (v. 10)

Matthew, having been called, does the most natural thing in the world. He throws a banquet. He invites Jesus to his house. And he invites his friends — “many tax collectors and sinners.”

The Greek word for “sinners” is hamartōloi — those who miss the mark, those who have fallen short. It is a broad category: prostitutes, thieves, adulterers, outcasts of every kind. And they come. They recline at table with Jesus. The Greek verb is synanakeimai — to recline together at a meal, to share the same table, to be in intimate fellowship.

This scandalizes the Pharisees. They ask the disciples: “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”

They cannot understand it. To share a table is to share communion. To recline with sinners is to identify with them. And that is exactly what Jesus does. He does not stand at a distance and preach. He enters the house, sits at the table, and becomes their friend.

The Physician and the Sick: Iatros and Ischyō (v. 12-13)

Jesus responds with two sayings that overturn the religious logic of His critics:

“Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do.”

The Greek word for “physician” is iatros — a doctor, a healer. The Greek word for “well” is ischyō — to be strong, to be healthy, to be able. The Greek word for “sick” is kakōs echō — to be in a bad state, to be afflicted, to be unwell.

Jesus is saying: “I am not here for the self-righteous. I am here for those who know they are broken.” The Pharisees did not see themselves as sick; they saw themselves as whole. And because they did not know their sickness, they could not receive the cure.

Then Jesus quotes the prophet Hosea:

“Go and learn the meaning of the words, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’”

The Greek word for “mercy” is eleos — compassion, pity, loving-kindness. The Greek word for “sacrifice” is thysia — the ritual offerings of the Temple. Jesus is not abolishing sacrifice; He is revealing its purpose. The ritual means nothing if the heart is not merciful. God does not want the blood of animals; He wants the love of His children.

The Mission of the Physician

The whole passage is a portrait of the mission of Jesus:

• He sees. He sees the man nobody wanted to see.

• He calls. He calls the man nobody wanted to call.

• He dines. He dines with the people nobody wanted to associate with.

• He heals. He heals the ones who knew they were sick.

This is the pattern of the Kingdom. God does not wait for us to become worthy; He calls us in our unworthiness. He does not stand at a distance; He comes to our table. He does not despise the sinner; He seeks the sinner.

And He says to us the same words He said to Matthew: “Follow me.”

The Feast of Saint Matthew

Today the Church honors Saint Matthew, the tax collector who became an apostle and evangelist. His Gospel — the first in the New Testament — is the Gospel of the Kingdom, the Gospel of the Church, the Gospel of fulfilled prophecy. Matthew, the man who was once a collaborator with Rome, became the one who announced that the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.

He did not write from a position of superiority. He wrote as a forgiven sinner, as one who had been called from the customs post, as one who knew what it meant to be healed by the Physician. And that is why his Gospel emphasizes mercy more than any other: “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy” (Matthew 5:7).

Tradition tells us that Matthew preached the Gospel in Ethiopia and suffered martyrdom there. The man who once collected money for Rome gave his life for the King of Kings.

What This Means for Your Monday

Today, the Gospel asks you two questions.

• Are you sitting at a customs post? Is there something in your life that keeps you from following Jesus completely — a comfort, a compromise, a source of security that you are unwilling to leave?

• Do you know that you are sick? The Pharisees could not receive the Physician because they did not think they needed Him. The sinners could receive Him because they knew they were broken. Do you know your need?

• Do you show mercy? Jesus says: “I desire mercy, not sacrifice.” Your religious practices are worthless if you do not show compassion to the broken. Who in your life needs your mercy today?

• Have you heard the call? Jesus says to you, right now, in the middle of your ordinary life: “Follow me.” Will you rise? Will you leave your booth? Will you follow?

A Short Prayer

Lord Jesus, You walked by a tax collector and called him to be an apostle. You sat at a table with sinners and became their friend. You are the Physician who came for the sick, and I am one of them. Thank You for calling me in my unworthiness. Thank You for not waiting until I was clean. Give me the courage of Saint Matthew — to rise from my booth, to leave behind what I cannot keep, and to follow You without looking back. Make me merciful, as You are merciful. And let my life become a banquet where others meet You. Saint Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist, pray for us. Amen.

Connect

Join our community for uplifting worship content

Contact

Subscribe

apocrifo1815@gmail.com

© 2026. All rights reserved.

About Us |Privacy Policy |Contact |
Terms and Conditions | Refund Policy