Matthew Matthew 10:4 Meet the Disciples ~ Matthew and Thomas

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1 O ne day, as Walter Wangerin notes, Matthew Matthew 10:4 Meet the Disciples ~ Matthew and Thomas Jesus was walking down the main thoroughfare of Capernaum. Shops and booths lined both sides of the street, various foods for sale and dry goods, craftsmen offering skills, coppersmiths, barbers, butchers, oil merchants, tailors, potters. In the midst of the marketplace a tax officer sat behind his table, collecting from the other businesses taxes required by Herod Antipas. This is where Jesus stopped, at the tollbooth. He gazed at the tax collector, a dour man of grey complexion, a bony nose, and sunken eyes. When the collector noticed the gaze and looked back, Jesus said, Your name is Matthew? Yes, said the collector. Jesus said, Follow me. Immediately, Matthew the tax collector stood up and left his business and followed Jesus. 1 VII The Extension of the Kingdom 8:1-10:42 B. The Calling of Workers for the Harvest 9:35-10:4 1. The Calling of the Twelve Verse 1 2. Meet the Twelve Verses 2-4 Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him. He appointed twelve designating them apostles that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach and to have authority to drive out demons. These are the twelve he appointed: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter); James son of Zebedee and his brother John (to them he gave the name Boanerges, which means Sons of Thunder); Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him (Mark 3:13-19). Introduction: This morning we continue our overview of the Apostles. So far we have discussed Peter, James, John, Andrew, Philip, Nathanael, and James the Lesser. We have five left to go. So, today we will review two, starting with Matthew. Much of what follows is adapted from the NIV Bible Dictionary and John MacArthur s Twelve Ordinary Men. a. Background: Finally a disciple who doesn t smell like fish, though he does smell of filthy lucre. Here s a summary of Matthew. MATTHEW (Gr. Maththaios). Son of Alphaeus (Mark 2:14), a tax collector (telones), also called Levi (2:14; Luke 5:27), whom Jesus met at the tax office and called to be one of his disciples (Matt 9:9; Mark 2:14; Luke 5:27). 1 Wangerin, Jr., Walter, The Book of God, Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, MI, 1996, p. 650.

2 Matthew s background and talents would be of great value to Jesus. As a tax collector he was skilled at writing and keeping records. 2 Matthew the tax collector As he walked along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax collector s booth. Follow me, Jesus told him, and Levi got up and followed him. After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector by the name of Levi sitting at his tax booth. Follow me, Jesus said to him (Matthew 10:3; Mark 2:14; Luke 5:27). b. Personality: We can draw a couple of conclusions about Matthew. First, he would have been generally isolated. He was a despised member of society. He would have been considered a traitor to his people because he was a tax collector. Back when studying Chapter 9 we saw that Matthew was a Jew who worked for the Romans (specifically for Herod Antipas) as the area s tax collector. (In Mark and Luke, he is called Levi. Most people in this day had two or three names: a Jewish name, a Roman name, and possibly a Greek name. Levi was his Jewish name, Matthew his Roman name.) He collected custom duties from the citizens as well as from merchants passing through town. Tax collectors took a commission on the taxes they collected, so most of them overcharged and kept the profits. Thus, most Jews hated tax collectors because of their reputation for cheating, their support of Rome, and their constant contact with unclean Gentiles. A Jew who accepted such an office shamed his family and friends and was excommunicated from the synagogue. The tax collector s booth was an elevated platform or bench. Everyone knew who Matthew was, and anyone passing through the city who had to pay taxes could find him easily. Matthew s tollbooth taxed commercial goods being transported from the sea to land routes (his booth was by the sea, Mark 2:13-14 NKJV). 3 We can speculate Matthew was self-effacing because in his Gospel, he says next to nothing about himself. In fact the disciple he gives most attention to is Peter. And while we don t know a lot about him, we are very familiar with his name because he was vitally important as the author of one of the four Gospels. c. Turning events: The turning event in Matthew s life would have been the day Jesus stopped at his tollbooth. This would not have been the first time that Jesus had seen Matthew, for Jesus had often walked along the shore of the Sea of Galilee. Apparently Jesus saw in Matthew someone he could use in his ministry. For example, we can see Matthew s attention to detail and careful record-keeping skills in the way that he wrote this Gospel. Certainly Matthew had seen Jesus before and, with the crowds, probably had been impressed and intrigued with this man. 4 What is interesting here is that Jesus walks up to Matthew and commands Matthew to follow Him. The Greek uses a form for follow which is a command. We ve already seen Jesus could know a person s heart and apparently He knew Matthew s, because Matthew immediately left his booth to follow Jesus. Jesus called Matthew to follow that is, to walk the same road. That Jesus called such a notorious person into his circle of disciples certainly must have shocked the other disciples, as well as the trailing 2 Douglas, J. D. and Merrill C. Tenney, editors, NIV Bible Dictionary, The Zondervan Corporation, Barton, Bruce B., Mark Fackler, Linda K. Taylor, and David R. Veerman, Life Application Bible Commentary, Matthew, Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, IL, Ibid. ) 328 (

3 crowd. Following upon the discussion of Jesus ability to forgive sins (9:1-8), this episode dramatically demonstrated the range of sinners that Jesus could and would forgive. Matthew recognized that Jesus was not inviting him; Jesus was calling him. So Matthew got up and followed him. Matthew s radical obedience would cause a great change in his life. Already ostracized by fellow Jews, Matthew s decision to follow Jesus would make no difference in this regard. But Matthew was probably very wealthy tax collecting was a lucrative occupation; so when Matthew walked away from his booth, he snubbed Rome and a lifetime of potentially great wealth. Several of the other disciples could always return to fishing, but Matthew could never turn back. 5 And so Matthew immediately starts the work of spreading the Gospel by inviting his colleagues and other lowlifes to a dinner party with Jesus. While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew s house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples (Matthew 9:10). It is not inconceivable that Jesus was speaking of Matthew as recorded in Luke 18. Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: God, I thank you that I am not like other men robbers, evildoers, adulterers or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get. But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, God, have mercy on me, a sinner. I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted. (Luke 18:10-14). d. The Latter Years: Here we have nothing beyond tradition. MacArthur notes: We know that Matthew wrote his Gospel with a Jewish audience in mind. Tradition says he ministered to the Jews both in Israel and abroad for many years before being martyred for his faith. There is no reliable record of how he was put to death, but the earliest traditions indicate he was burned at the stake. Thus the man who walked away from a lucrative career without ever giving it a second thought remained willing to give his all for Christ to the very end. 6 a. Background: Next we re going to talk about a disciple of who we know very little, except for one characteristic, his doubt. THOMAS (Gr. Thomas, from Aram. teoma, twin). He was called Didymus or the Twin (cf. John 11:16; 20:24; 21:2). Shortly before the Passion, Thomas asked, Lord, we don t know where you are going, so how can we know the way? (14:1-6). Thomas was not with the other apostles when Jesus presented himself to them on the evening of the Resurrection, and he told them later that he could not believe in Jesus resurrection (20:24-25). Eight days later he was with the apostles when Jesus appeared to them again, and he exclaimed, My Lord and my God! (20:26-29). He was with the six other disciples when Jesus appeared to them at the Sea of Galilee (21:1-8) and was with the rest of the apostles in the Upper Room at Jerusalem after the Ascension (Acts 1:13). According to tradition he afterward labored in Parthia, Persia, and India. A place near Madras is called St. Thomas s Mount. 7 Apparently Thomas had a twin, but this individual is never mentioned in scripture. 5 Ibid. 6 MacArthur, John, Twelve Ordinary Men, Thomas Nelson, Inc., Nashville, TN, 2002, p Douglas. ) 329 (

4 b. Personality: Thomas appears to be one of those individuals who are from Missouri, the Show Me State. He didn t believe what he hadn t seen. But if He d seen it, then he was committed to belief. And while he is usually identified as a doubter, he s probably better described as a pessimist. MacArthur draws this conclusion because of Thomas reaction to Jesus intent to go back to Jerusalem as a response to Lazarus death. Then Thomas (called Didymus) said to the rest of the disciples, Let us also go, that we may die with him. (John 11:16). This presents Thomas in a very interesting light. Though he is clearly a negative personality, expecting to die with Jesus, at the same time he is a man of character. He was willing to risk certain death to be with Christ. Also apparently he had some influence on the disciples as well, as his suggestion was to the group as a whole. Another example of this combination of pessimism and love can be found in John Chapter 14. Also note that Thomas questions presented the Lord with the opportunity to clarify issues. Remember if Thomas expressed his doubts and questions, it is reasonable to believe he wasn t the only one who felt this way. Jesus speaking said, Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. 4 You know the way to the place where I am going. Thomas said to him, Lord, we don t know where you are going, so how can we know the way? Jesus answered, I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him. (John 14:1-6). c. Turning Events: While obviously Jesus call of Thomas was a major turning point, the one that springs to mind most obviously was the one that earned him the nickname, Doubting Thomas. But this event was the seal on his faith. On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, Peace be with you! After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord. Again Jesus said, Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you. And with that he breathed on them and said, Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven. Now Thomas (called Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, We have seen the Lord! But he said to them, Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it. A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, Peace ) 330 (

5 be with you! Then he said to Thomas, Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe. Thomas said to him, My Lord and my God! Then Jesus told him, Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed. (John 20:19-29). d. The Latter Years: Once again quoting MacArthur: There is a considerable amount of ancient testimony that suggests Thomas carried the gospel as far as India. There is to this day a small hill near the airport in Chennai (Madras), India, where Thomas is said to have been buried. There are churches in south India whose roots are traceable to the beginning of the church age, and tradition says they were founded under the ministry of Thomas. The strongest traditions say he was martyred for his faith by being run through with a spear a fitting form of martyrdom for one whose faith came of age when he saw the spear mark in his Master s side and for one who longed to be reunited with his Lord. 8 Conclusion: Once again we ve see a couple of ordinary men with their own issues. One was financially well of but isolated from his own people. The other saw the glass half empty. But both experienced a major change in their life when they turned their lives over to the Lord. What are your limitations that, at least on the surface, could keep you for being usable by the Lord? How has he used these very limitations in His service? The message of scripture, of these men is, if we are willing to be used, we will be usable. And as these men took their eyes off themselves and put them on the Lord, as they allowed Him to be their vision, they became ordinary men who did extraordinary things. This is what it takes. We need to take our eyes off ourselves and to let Him be where we look, to let Him be our vision. Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart; Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art Thou my best thought, By day or by night, Walking or sleeping, Thy presence my light. Be Thou my Wisdom and Thou my true Word; I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord; Thou my great Father, I Thy true son, Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one. Riches I heed not, High King of heaven, nor man s empty praise, my victory won, Thou mine inheritance, May I reach heaven s joys, now and always; bright heaven s Sun! Thou and Thou only, Heart of my own heart, first in my heart, whatever befall, High King of heaven, Still be my Vision, my treasure Thou art. O Ruler of all. 9 8 MacArthur, p Byrne; Mary E. translator, The Celebration Hymnal, Be Thou My Vision, Word/Integrity, USA, 1997, #562. ) 331 (

6 Matthew Matthew 10:4 Meet the Disciples ~ Matthew and Thomas VII The Extension of the Kingdom 8:1-10:42 B. The Calling of Workers for the Harvest 9:35-10:4 1. The Calling of the Twelve Verse 1 2. Meet the Twelve Verses 2-4 Introduction: (Mark 3:13-19) Matthew: a. Background: b. Personality: c. Turning events: (Matthew 9:10; Luke 18:10-14) d. The Latter Years:

7 Thomas: a. Background: b. Personality: (John 11:16, 14:1-6) c. Turning Events: (John 20:19-29) d. The Latter Years: Conclusion: