One day, Jesus was walking in that same region of Galilee and saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth. Jesus says something very similar to Matthew as He did to Peter and Andrew. Jesus says simply, “Follow Me.” And for some reason that was enough. Matthew got up, left his post at the booth and followed Jesus.

Jesus simply called out and these disciples followed. I guess this is what we would expect from a disciple. We have grown to accept that Jesus can utter a couple of words and men will follow, unconditionally. Men like Peter, Andrew and St. Matthew, our Gospel text for today and the day for which we celebrate, seem to be “exceptions to the rule.” I mean really – who would follow at the utterance of two simple words. Who would leave everything behind, their livelihood, their families, and follow this man from Nazareth. This is a call to discipleship for special people.

But this is not a call to just “special” people. This is a call to discipleship of God’s people today. This is a call out to you. This picture we have of Matthew’s call to follow Jesus is nothing special at all. As a matter of fact, Matthew is the human writer of these words in the Gospel that bears his name. He is the one who gives the account of “being called.” And look how he does it. He doesn’t do it with a flashy story that explains all sorts of emotions, ponderings, and up-to-the-moment sensations. Matthew’s account of being called is nothing special at all. He simply says, “I was sitting there, He walked by, He called, and I followed.” How simple is that.

Today we hear so much about “experiences” and some of us have had them. But I want you to know – if you don’t have an “experience” you are not alone. You are like St. Matthew. He was sitting there in his everyday type of job – a job that the Jews despised (more on that later), and He got called into action. No experience necessary. No experience with formal Christian education and no “mountain top” experience that would leave a crowd of people breathless with excitement and amazement while he told his story. It was simple and direct. Much the way that God calls you into discipleship today.

We are led to believe that in order to be close to God, or in order to be called into discipleship in the proper way, we need to have an “experience.” You know – a sort of life altering event. We have heard of so many books, so many stories that tell of these fantastic conversion experiences or calls into action for the sake of the Gospel that we have begun to wonder if God is going to do the same for us. Or, if He hasn’t done that for us – or I haven’t had such a meaningful, emotional, spirit-filled, enlightened experience, then I must be doing something wrong – or – worse yet – God really isn’t calling me to do anything. Enter in St. Matthew.

Our, “everyday” man gets his call into discipleship the very same way you do. Through the Words of Jesus. And let me tell you, beloved in the Lord, it doesn’t matter who you are what you do for a living – God calls you into discipleship through His Word – not your experience.

Take a look at St. Matthew for just a moment. Look at what kind of man Jesus called to follow Him in the Gospel text for today. Mostly when we talk about Matthew we first think of his vocation. He was a tax collector in Galilee which means that he worked for Rome under the supervision of Herod Antipas. Tax collectors were prone to lying, cheating and stealing. Matthew was probably no different. How did tax collectors cheat?

Under the overall Roman system, individual tax collectors would bid on the right to collect indirect taxes in a certain region or town. The Romans (or the local ruler, such as Herod Antipas) would award the contract to collect the taxes from the people to the highest bidder, who then would seek to recover the money that he had already paid as best he could. Such a system was set up to tempt the tax collector to gather more than was required. He was trying to fill his own pockets and not the pockets of Rome. Tax collectors were known to abuse their office and indulge in greed.

This brings us back to Matthew who was one of these men. He, for sure had a “despicable” vocation. Not only did he work for the enemy (Rome), he was a Jew himself. The only thing worse than someone who works for the Romans, is a “traitor Jew” who works for the Romans. But yet it was a man like Matthew that Jesus called and even sat at his table in his home to eat.

Matthew followed and he let the Savior lead. There’s a story about how one evening at a mission station in The Congo a converted native prayed, “Lord Jesus, Thou art the needle, and I am the cotton.” To the missionary at the station this seemed strange language, and so he asked the man what he meant by his unusual words. It turned out that the native had visited the mission school that day and watched the girls sewing. What interested him most was that the thread always followed the needle. In the same way, he wanted to follow Jesus wherever he led.

When Jesus tells us “Follow Me,” He wants to have us so close to Him at all times, so completely yielded to Him, that we follow Him as directly and dependently as the thread follows the needle. And Just as Jesus would Call St. Matthew that faithful day – and we would even be celebrating such a day today – we are called from our tax collector booths (our stations in life) right into God’s Service. Heed His call, beloved in the Lord. Follow where the Lord goes. He is taking you places and you will need Him – I promise.

The place where Jesus takes us is to the people who need you. The place where Jesus takes you in discipleship is in the service of Christ for the sake of His great Kingdom. And before He takes you to those places, He has taken you to another place – this place is seen by our hearts through the eyes of faith. He takes His precious children to the place where He gave you everything. Jesus takes us to the cross in our Christian life. He takes you into death but never to leave you there. He takes you to His tomb but never to leave you there. He takes you with Him – in Him, like thread in the needle – following the whole way – in Christ while following Him – in Christ and in His life given to you.

I thank God that He is willing to eat at my table. I thank God that when invited into our homes He takes us up on that invitation. We are the sinners that Jesus eats with at Matthew’s house. The Pharisees couldn’t believe that a “holy man” would associate and even have table fellowship with people who were known sinners. But this is our Jesus – inviting us to dine with Him before our invitation to Him is ever extended. This is our Lord who loves us no matter what. This is our Lord who would not only eat with the sick who need a doctor but die on a cross so that we, the sick, have more than a doctor – a curer of our souls.

Peter and Andrew needed a doctor. They followed the Savior and learned what discipleship was all about. Matthew, the dreaded tax collector needed a doctor. He left behind any connection to a dishonest way of life and followed Jesus, learning what it meant to be a disciple. Perhaps St. Matthew Day today helps us to understand what it means to be a disciple. The cost of discipleship can mean leaving behind, getting rid of, things that hold us back or even hurt us and others. The cost of discipleship can be time consuming and not always easy. I promise it wasn’t easy for Matthew.

And it wasn’t easy for our Lord – who gave up everything to serve you. That’s what Jesus did for you – served you and your every need by dying for you. And while Jesus doesn’t follow us in the same way He calls us to follow, there is no better example of discipleship than Him. He follows – He is with us always to the very end of the age. Amen.

The peace of God which passes all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.