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.
Ver. 9. A man named Matthew] The other evangelist call him Levi; so shrouding his shame under a name less known. He plainly and ingenuously sets down his own more common name, and the nature of his offence, like as David doth penance in a white sheet, as it were, Psalms 51:1, which is an evident argument, both of the Scripture's divinity, and of the evangelist's gracious simplicity. If any should upbraid him with his old evil courses, he could readily have answered, as Austin did in like case, Quae tu reprehendis ego damnavi; or as Beza, Hic homo invidet mihi gratiam Christi.
Sitting at the receipt of custom] These publicans rented the revenue of the sea and rivers of the Romans, as now the Jews do of the Turks, at a certain rate. And that they might pay their rent, and pick a living out of it, they were great gripers, and exacted extremely upon the Jews; who therefore hated them, and held them furthest off from heaven of any men. A faithful publican was so rare at Rome itself, that one Sabinus, for his honest managing of that office, in an honourable remembrance thereof, had certain images erected with this superscription, For the honest publican. a Of this sort of sinners was Matthew, whom Christ converted into an evangelist; as he did Paul the persecutor into an apostle; Justin the philosopher into a martyr; Cyprian the rhetorician, and, as some think, the magician, into a famous light of the Church. I was an obstinate Papist, saith Latimer, as any was in England; insomuch, that when I should be made bachelor of divinity, my whole oration went against Philip Melancthon, and his opinions, &c.
And he arose and followed him] Julian the Apostate cavils at this passage; as if either this were false, or Matthew a fool to follow a stranger at the first call. But this atheist knew not the work of faith, nor the power of Christ's voice when he calls effectually. If Maris the blind bishop of Bithynia had been by to have heard this dead dog thus barking, he would surely have shaped him such an answer as he did once. For when Julian said unto him, Behold, thou art blind; doth the Galilean thy God care for thee? He replied, O tu impie apostata, gratias ago Deo qui me caecum reddidit, ne vultum tuum videam, ita ad impietatem prolapsum, O thou wicked apostate, I give my God thanks that hath made me blind, that I might not see that wretched face of thine.
a καλως τελωνησαντι. Suetonius, Vespasian, l. 8. c. 2. 2:265,267