MATTHEW 9:9-13

Jesus saw a man named Matthew sitting at the customs post. He said to him, “Follow me.” And he got up and followed him. While he was at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat with Jesus and his disciples. The Pharisees saw this and said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” He heard this and said, “Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do. Go and learn the meaning of the words, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.”

“For a while there, it was rough, but lately I’ve been doing better than the last four Decembers I recall.  And I see my family every month and I found a girl my parents love.  She’ll come and stay the night and I think I might have it all, and I thank God every day for the girl He sent my way.  But I know the things He gives me; He can take away, and I hold you every night and that’s a feeling I wanna get used to.  But there’s no man as terrified as the man who stands to lose you.  I hope I don’t lose you.  Please stay.  I want you; I need you.  God, don’t take these beautiful things that I’ve got.”

Jesus’s call of Matthew to be an apostle is an interesting one. We know that Matthew was a tax collector, and we know that in general, the way that tax collectors were “paid” by the Romans was for them to charge extra as they collected taxes.  The practice therefore invitied the tax collector to charge more than necessary as they followed the guidelines of their occupation.  It would amount to “extortion” in today’s world. 

Whether Matthew followed this practice is not known, but if he did, and there is a good chance that he did, his following of Jesus would amount to being repentant. It somehow meant that he realized that he had to better his life in order to be a good person. 

Benson Boone’s song “Beautiful” is a love song and tells the story of the love from the man’s point of view. According to the song, his past “love life” was not so good—he had probably spent the last four years in a selfish way, and for some reason, he felt a change was necessary. And he made the change, choosing a partner that his family approved and choosing a lifestyle that included his own family. And it is no accident that he realized that God was very much a part of his new-found way to be a better person. 

You and I can easily learn from this love song. As we pursue our life and in particular our love life, we really should be aware of our family that we grew up in.  Our parents no doubt want to be included in our pursuit of love and no doubt want to be part of our lives.  It is a necessary “awareness” that grown up children ought to know.  We must never forget the Christian directive of the fourth commandment. 

And we can learn from his words about God as he considers his love-life.  The more we are aware of God’s love for us and what we want to do, the better people we will be.

PRAYER

Good and gracious God, as we go about our lives, you have given us a free will to direct those lives.  Help us as we do so to learn to be very aware of our family of origin and the need that we have for you in our lives.  Be with us, we pray.

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GUIDE FOR CLASSROOM PRESENTATION AND PERSONAL ENRICHMENT

Theme: We can always improve ourselves to be better people.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

1. In general, we are also called to follow the Lord. What is the best way to follow God as we live our lives?

2. Is the desire for money the basic desire of human beings? Yes or no and why?

3. How does having too much money work against a truly spiritual lifestyle?

4. Do most young people of marriageable age think of who their parents would want them to choose for marriage?  Yes or no and why?

5. Do most young people think in terms of God helping them choose a marriage partner?  Yes or no and why? 

6. Why is it important for young people who have left home for one reason or another to keep in touch with their parents?

7. What is the best way to keep God to be part of our lives?

©2007 Capuchin Province of Mid-America
Fr. Mike Scully is a member of the Capuchin Province of Mid-America