The Gift of Jehovah
And as Jesus passed forth from thence, he saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he saith unto him, Follow me. And he arose, and followed him. ~Matthew 9:9
When we consider the twelve apostles, the ones who stand out the most are Peter, Andrew, James, John, Thomas, and Judas. The other apostles are not less important, but there are less details given to us about them. This morning, I would like for us to consider one of the lesser known apostles. The apostle whom we are considering today is Matthew. His name means “the gift of Jehovah.”
We see Matthew and his conversion.
Matthew was a tax collector. Tax collectors were hardened, covetous, dishonest, and greedy individuals. They were despised by most of society. To be a tax collector meant that the main associations that you would have in life would be with other tax collectors and people of ill repute. Matthew lived a sinner’s life until Jesus came to him. Jesus gave him acceptance. Jesus gave him salvation. Jesus gave him the forgiveness of sins and a fresh start. Jesus changed Matthew’s life! Jesus gave Matthew the gift of eternal life. Matthew became a son of God!
We see Matthew and his commitment.
Jesus said to Matthew, “Follow me.” Matthew immediately obeyed the Lord and followed Him. He became a disciple of Christ as soon as he got saved. As a disciple, the first thing that he did was introduce the Lord to everyone whom he knew. He knew how bad his life was, and he wanted the people whom he used to run with to experience the same change that he underwent. He was committed to growing and learning more about the Lord. He wanted to go wherever Jesus went. He was committed all the way.
We see Matthew and his calling.
Matthew was called to be an apostle of the Lord. The Lord saw great potential in Matthew and enlisted him to be one of twelve men who would impact the world through the gospel. He spent close to three years of his life learning how to be a servant who could win souls, make disciples, and start churches. He was called to change his generation through gospel preaching.
We see Matthew and his contribution.
After Jesus ascended and went back to Heaven, we have very little that is said about Matthew. However, what is said is powerful. First, his biggest contribution was being used of God to write the gospel that bears his name. The Gospel of Matthew presents Jesus as the King of the Jews. Matthew was given to details, and we see this in his writing. He is touching countless lives through the gospel. Second, Matthew helped to spread the gospel to Ethiopia. Eventually, he died a martyr’s death. Tradition tells us that he was slain with a halberd. No doubt, his identification with Christ was what led to his tragic death. He gave his life to advance the cause of Christ. Matthew is a testimonial that God will use anyone who is willing to follow Him.
Take a moment today to read Matthew 9 and how Jesus changed Matthew’s life. Are you willing to take a step closer to being a sold-out disciple of Jesus? Would you pray and ask God to place before you what you can do to impact many lives just like Matthew did?
Have a committed God Morning!
Bible Reading Schedule: 2 Kings 23-25