Saint Matthew

Saint Matthew is famous as having been called by Jesus from, in the words of the old Prayer Book, ‚Äúthe receipt of custom,‚Äù to follow Jesus and be an apostle and evangelist. In other words, Matthew was a tax collector. Tax collectors were viewed by Matthew’s fellow Jews as collaborators with the Roman State who made their living by taking money from their own people for the hated overlords and often enriched themselves in so doing. Devout Pharisees refused to marry into a family that had a member who was a tax collector, a ‚Äúpublican.‚Äù When Matthew held a dinner party for his fellow publicans and invited Jesus to attend (which he did), the Pharisees sharply criticized Jesus for keeping bad company. Jesus’ reply was that he came not to call the righteous but sinners.

The biblical scholars note that Saint Matthew’s Gospel is especially remarkable for its ‚Äúsayings of Jesus.‚Äù While his Gospel, with important differences, largely follows the structure of the Gospels of Mark and Luke, Matthew is especially cherished for his record, among other sayings, of the Sermon on the Mount.

Learn more about Matthew from the Rector, in his weekly audio message.