And as he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax office, and said unto him,
Follow me.
And he arose and followed him.
Read Chapter 2
Bede
AD 735
By “follow” he meant not so much the movement of feet as of the heart, the carrying out of a way of life. For one who says that he lives in Christ ought himself to walk just as he walked, not to aim at earthly things, not to pursue perishable gains, but to flee base praise, to embrace willingly the contempt of all that is worldly for the sake of heavenly glory, to do good to all, to inflict injuries upon no one in bitterness, to suffer patiently those injuries that come to oneself, to ask God’s forgiveness for those who oppress, never to seek one’s own glory but always God’s, and to uphold whatever helps one love heavenly things. This is what is meant by following Christ. In this way, disregarding earthly gains, Matthew attached himself to the band of followers of One who had no riches. For the Lord himself, who outwardly called Matthew by a word, inwardly bestowed upon him the gift of an invisible impulse so that he was able to follow.
Jesus found him sitting in the tax collector’s place, with his stubborn intellect avid for temporal gain. His new name was Matthew, the gospel says. The name Matthew in Hebrew means “granted” in Latin, a name aptly corresponding to one who received the favor of heavenly grace.
He saw Levi (the son) of Alphus, i.e, He saw Matthew , who by another name is called Levi before he was called by Christ, for after his vocation he is always called Matthew 0f Alphus, i.e, the Song of Solomon , as the Syriac expresses it. This Alphus is a different person from the Alphus who was the husband of Mary of Cleopas, who was the father of James the Less and Jude ( Matthew 10:3). Luke and Mark call Matthew Levi, out of regard for his good name, because this name of Levi was known but to few. But he calls himself Matthew , to humiliate himself, and to profess openly that he was a sinner and a publican.
And rising up, &c, i.e, leaving everything. Wherefore Bede saith, "He left his own possessions who was wont to seize those of others. He left also the accounts of his taxes imperfect, and not cast up, because the Lord had so inflamed him that he straightway followed Him who called him."
The Apostle Matthew, if you consider his former life, did not leave a holy occupation, but came from those consumed with taxgathering and overreaching one another.
To follow Christ, is to imitate him; wherefore this apostle, that he might be able to follow Christ, the model of poverty, not so much by his bodily steps, as by the inward affections of his soul, forsook all; he not only forsook his present goods, but despised all danger, which he incurred by leaving his business abruptly, and without rendering any account of it to his employers or governors. (Ven. Bede)
The person to whom Christ addresses the words, follow me, was Matthew: see Matthew ix. 9.
