As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The verse subtly highlights Matthew's willingness to leave his entire livelihood behind, not just his job but all the security and income it provided, simply because Jesus spoke. This wasn't just a career change; it was a radical uprooting, demonstrating the immediate and powerful impact of Christ's call on a man deeply entrenched in worldly affairs.
As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Right after Jesus heals a paralyzed man, He walks by a tax collector's booth and calls Matthew to follow Him. This man, also known as Levi, was a despised tax collector working for the Romans, but he immediately leaves his job and follows Jesus. This encounter highlights Jesus's radical inclusion of outcasts and sets the stage for the controversy that follows when He dines with tax collectors and sinners.
Imagine being deeply engrossed in your work, maybe even a job others find shady, and then hearing a simple, life-altering command. How does a single phrase change everything?
Jesus' call to Matthew, “Follow me,” wasn’t just an invitation; it was a divine imperative that carried inherent power.
An Authoritative Command
Immediate Transformation
Matthew was a tax collector, a profession deeply despised by his own people. What did Jesus see in him, and what did Matthew leave behind?
Matthew's profession as a tax collector, or publican, placed him in a position of social disgrace. These individuals were often seen as collaborators with the Roman oppressors and were known for their greed.
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A Detested Occupation
The Profound Sacrifice
Matthew, a name meaning 'gift of God,' was likely a name Jesus bestowed upon this former tax collector. Why the name change, and what does it reveal about God's perspective?
The gospel writers note that Matthew was known as Matthew, but Mark and Luke refer to him as Levi. This isn't just a name change; it's symbolic of a transformed identity.
Old Name, New Reality
God's Perspective on Sinners
Understand the original words
telōnēs · Greek Noun
A person authorized by the Roman government to collect taxes. In Jewish society, they were often viewed as traitors and extortioners, and were socially marginalized as religious outsiders.
akoloutheō · Greek Verb
To come after or adhere to someone. Discipleship involves walking in the path of the teacher, imitating their life, and total obedience to their instruction.
Matthew, a tax collector working under Roman and Herod Antipas's authority in Capernaum, was a social outcast. Jesus' direct call and subsequent embrace of Matthew, even dining with his associates, highlights the radical inclusivity of his kingdom, extending salvation to those on the margins of society.
c. 6 BC
Jesus begins ministry in Galilee
After Jesus' early years and baptism, his public ministry, including teachings and miracles, begins to draw crowds in his home region of Galilee. Capernaum becomes a central base for his activities.
c. AD 27-30
Jesus calls disciples to follow
During Jesus' Galilean ministry, he calls several men, including fishermen like Peter, Andrew, James, and John, to leave their livelihoods and follow him. These initial calls establish a core group of disciples.
c. AD 28
Jesus heals paralytic in Capernaum
Following a period of teaching and miracles, Jesus heals a man lowered through a roof in Capernaum. This event occurs shortly before Jesus encounters Matthew.
c. AD 28— this verse
Jesus calls Matthew
While passing through Capernaum after healing the paralytic, Jesus sees Matthew, a tax collector, at his booth and directly calls him to follow. Matthew immediately leaves his work and follows Jesus.
c. AD 28
Feast with tax collectors and sinners
Soon after calling Matthew, Jesus attends a banquet hosted by Matthew, where he dines with many other tax collectors and 'sinners.' This act sparks criticism from religious observers.
This passage from Luke parallels Matthew's account, also naming the tax collector as 'Levi' and highlighting the radical nature of his decision to leave everything behind and follow Jesus.
Mark 2:14Mark's Gospel tells the same story, referring to the disciple as Levi, the son of Alphaeus, emphasizing that Jesus saw him 'at his custom booth' and called him, mirroring Matthew's own account of his calling.
Isaiah 55:1-3This prophetic passage from Isaiah powerfully illustrates the nature of Jesus' invitation – a free, abundant offer of life to all who seek Him, resonating with Matthew's immediate response to Jesus' simple yet profound command.
1 Timothy 1:15Paul’s declaration that Christ Jesus came to save sinners, of whom he himself was the foremost, echoes the incredible grace shown to Matthew, a tax collector, demonstrating that no one is beyond the reach of Jesus' redemptive call.
John 1:43This verse describes Jesus calling Philip, who then immediately found Nathanael and told him, 'We have found him of whom Moses wrote in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.' This shows a pattern of Jesus calling and disciples immediately acting to bring others into the fold, similar to Matthew's swift obedience.
bensonMatthew 9:9: "And as Jesus passed forth from thence, he saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he saith unto him, Follow me. And he arose, and followed him."
Matthew 9:9 . And as Jesus passed from thence — That is, from the house in which the paralytic had been cured, he saw a man named Matthew — Modestly so called by himself: the other evangelists call him by his more honourable name, Levi; setting at the receipt of custom — In the very height of his business. The expr…
barnesMatthew 9:9: "And as Jesus passed forth from thence, he saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he saith unto him, Follow me. And he arose, and followed him."
He saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom - That is, at the place where "custom," or "tribute," was received; or, in other words, he was a "publican" or tax-gatherer. See the notes at Matthew 5:47 . This man was the writer of this gospel. The same account is found in Mark 2:14 , and Luke 5:27-28…
The verse subtly highlights Matthew's willingness to leave his entire livelihood behind, not just his job but all the security and income it provided, simply because Jesus spoke. This wasn't just a career change; it was a radical uprooting, demonstrating the immediate and powerful impact of Christ's call on a man deeply entrenched in worldly affairs.
Right after Jesus heals a paralyzed man, He walks by a tax collector's booth and calls Matthew to follow Him. This man, also known as Levi, was a despised tax collector working for the Romans, but he immediately leaves his job and follows Jesus. This encounter highlights Jesus's radical inclusion of outcasts and sets the stage for the controversy that follows when He dines with tax collectors and sinners.
Right after Jesus heals a paralyzed man, He walks by a tax collector's booth and calls Matthew to follow Him. This man, also known as Levi, was a despised tax collector working for the Romans, but he immediately leaves his job and follows Jesus. This encounter highlights Jesus's radical inclusion of outcasts and sets the stage for the controversy that follows when He dines with tax collectors and sinners.
"As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him." — The verse subtly highlights Matthew's willingness to leave his entire livelihood behind, not just his job but all the security and income it provided, simply because Jesus spoke. This wasn't just a c…
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Last reviewed October 2026