The Tax Collector Among the Twelve Apostles

Among the twelve disciples chosen by Jesus, there was a very unique man named Matthew, also known as Levi (Mark 2:14). He was also the author of the Gospel of Matthew. One day in Capernaum, Jesus saw Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth and said to him, “Follow me.” And Matthew got up and followed Him.

Capernaum was located on a major trade route between Egypt and Syria. A short distance to the east was the Jordan River, which served as the border between the jurisdictions of Herod Antipas and Philip II. Therefore, a tax collector’s booth, or toll station, was set up there. Matthew was a tax collector who collected taxes for the Roman government. At the time, tax collectors were despised by their fellow Jews and regarded as sinners because they helped the Roman Empire exploit their own people.

Matthew was called by the Lord while he was at work. He immediately left his secure job to follow Jesus. In doing so, he paid a greater price to follow the Lord than a fisherman like Peter. If the fishermen found it wasn’t worth it to follow Jesus, they could easily go back to their trade. But for a tax collector, once he gave up his secure job, someone else would immediately take his place, and there would be no turning back. Matthew’s decision to follow Jesus was a definitive commitment, and he became one of the twelve apostles. He witnessed Christ’s resurrection and ascension, left behind one of the four Gospels—the Gospel of Matthew—and was ultimately martyred for his faith.

Edited and compiled based on the Chinese Union Version of the Bible and a comprehensive biblical interpretation.