When Moses was told that he was going to be God’s servant, he said “Lord, I am not an eloquent person.  I can’t speak well - my tongue is slow.”  When the prophet Isaiah was approached, he said “Lord, I am a sinner.  I hang out with sinners, I use bad language...I’m not a good pick.”  When Jeremiah was asked he said he was way too young for the job, and Jonah....well, he hopped on a ship and ran for his life.  And we know how that story turned out.  But when our Lord turned to Matthew and said, “Follow Me,” Matthew simply got up, and did just that.

 

Today’s Gospel reading isn’t going to give you much financial advice.  Matthew was not an example of a good businessman at this point.  Leaving the job of tax collecting was like cutting down a healthy money tree.  He had the best job security around.  Matthew could raise his rates faster than the current gas prices with no problem.  As long as you collected what your Roman official wanted from you, you could pocket the rest.  The tax collecting symbol on the stock market was always going up, if you will, and it was never a good time to sell - much less give it away.   His lifestyle probably included some of the best parties, full of fine food and elegant wines.  After all, he had the “six-figure” job of the first century.

 

Today’s Gospel reading isn’t going to give you any political advice either.  Jesus was not providing an example of how to pick popular people.  After all, tax collectors were seen as the lowest of society.  They were the ones in the center of all gossip and hatred.  They were the ones who cheated their customers with a smile on their face.  If Jesus wanted better representation, he could have gone with nearly anyone else.  After all, the first thing people do is dig up the dirt on you and whoever is with you, a lot like the political realm when someone is nominated.  I’ll give you one guess as to the kind of publicity on the latest People Magazine, for example.  Your options are: positive, or negative.

 

The task of digging up dirt on others is an easy thing to do in a sinful world.  There’s always fuel to throw on the fires of gossip.  Our behavior as Christians is quite ironic at times too.  We seek after the good things in life as if we haven’t been blessed with a life far greater than this world has to offer.  We subject ourselves to the world’s definition of success, even though we will one day gain the entire world.  We fight over temporal blessings, even though one day we will inherit eternal blessings.

 

I wonder what today’s news reporters would have done with good ol’ St. Matthew after his “nomination.”  I’m sure they would have provided some juicy headlines.  The Pharisees were ready to pounce - they knew Matthew’s past, and it was far from ideal.  But here we are, gathered on the Sunday of St. Matthew: Apostle and Evangelist. Observing his role as disciple-honoring his work as evangelist.

 

Matthew gave up earthly treasure for heavenly treasure.  This is much easier said than done.  If it is true that actions speak louder than words, we can certainly “hear” a loud hesitation to follow Jesus in our day.  We all know some pretty good excuses, much like the prophets of old.  We have our reasons as to why we cannot loosen the grip on the dollar bill.  We like to have options.  But this is one thing Matthew was not given.  He was not given the option of serving both God and mammon - neither are we.  He was not given the option of following Jesus only on Sundays - neither are we.

                       

Matthew’s Gospel has often been called “the church’s Gospel.”  It was probably even used for catechetical instruction.  With the precision of an IRS auditor, Matthew provides us with a highly organized, comprehensive gospel, and his work is the only place in the Bible you’ll find the Trinitarian formula: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  What Matthew saw and heard, he believed.  What he believed, he preached.  And what he preached, he wrote.  And these things are written that we may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.

 

Before Wednesday’s confirmation class, I glanced in the back of the catechism at the symbols of the Christian faith.  Matthew’s Gospel is presented a little differently than the others.  Mark has a symbol of a lion; Luke has an ox; and John, an eagle.  Matthew gets the symbol of a man with wings.  He presents the Old and New Testaments as one unified revelation in Christ.  In Him is the fulfillment of everything God said he would do.

 

The Gospel, then, is the living voice of Jesus.  When the gospels are read, He is once again in the midst of us.  These words make us alive together with Christ.  The Psalmist wrote years ago that “This will be written for the generation to come, that a people yet to be created may praise the Lord.”  This verse finds expression in the very writings of the gospels.  In the proclamation of the four gospels, the message of Christ crucified is preached to all the world, even to the end of the age.

 

But today we’re not only celebrating the fact that Matthew wrote a gospel, and not only the fact that our Lord called Matthew to be an apostle, but we also rejoice that he calls all of us to follow him as well.  Even though there was great hesitation to follow God’s calling in the days of old, and even though there is great hesitation to follow him now, Christ did not hesitate to call you.  He’s made your calling very clear in the waters of baptism, when he claimed you personally as his follower.

 

Jesus is not here to be just a good teacher or a moral leader or a political ruler.  He has come to seek and to save - to call you.  He’s not worried about how well you can manage your temporal gifts, but if you care about your eternal gifts.  Not your earthly riches, but your heavenly riches.  You, like Matthew, are called from the money changing tables to follow Him.  You don’t have to worry about anyone digging up your past sins - when God looks at you, He sees his Son.  There aren’t any messy headlines to publish because your record is perfectly clean.  Your past sins have separated as far as the east is from the west.

 

Even though the Pharisees knew the law cover to cover, they did not know the ABC’s of God’s kingdom.  Our Lord desires mercy, not sacrifice.  Going through the motions will not earn forgiveness.  A sacrifice without faith isn’t worth anything in God’s eyes, for it is faith in Christ saves.  He is the one Sacrifice - THE Sacrifice - for sins forever.

 

The gifts of that Sacrifice are freely given.  It was for good reasons Matthew and his buddies had a huge feast.  The table is the place where God shows fellowship with sinners - it is where God’s forgiveness is given.  He has once again set a table for our day.  He invites us to share in his feast.  Sharing the table means sharing life.  It was through eating Adam and Eve sinned, and it is now through eating we are saved.  It’s not sin that is contagious at our Lord’s banquet: but His holiness that purifies and cleanses us.

 

He who died on the cross is the One who calls you to take up your cross and follow him.  For him it was swaddling clothes in a manger - for you, garments of righteousness in a heavenly mansion.  For him it’s a crown of thorns, for you it’s a crown of life.  He gets your sins and you get his righteousness.  For him, death...for you, life.

 

He calls.  We follow.  He doesn’t tell you to lead, but simply to follow.  He calls you just as you are.  It’s not a matter of numbers, but he wants you.  When you think you hurt alone, he goes before you and suffers with you.  “Come unto Me all ye who labor and are heavy laden, I will give you rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”  Only those who follow Him find the comfort they really need.  Only those who follow him truly find rest.  Only those who follow him receive the peace of God which passes all understanding, peace that will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus unto everlasting life.  Amen.

 

 Brian German