The Calling of Matthew
(Mk 2:13–17)
Since Christ healed the soul before the body—indeed, He seems to have healed the body solely for the purpose of proving His power to cure the diseases of the soul—He has now manifested Himself as the spiritual Savior. Just as He breaks the power of demons and instructs men in holiness through His doctrine, so also He takes away the death of the soul, which consists in sin, and bestows true life. In this narrative, He is shown in a most excellent way as a Savior who brings sinners to salvation.
For He calls one of those who, by a certain special right among the Jews, were considered "sinners" to become His companion and disciple; then He engages in familiar association with sinners to lead them to the kingdom of God and salvation; indeed, He asserts that the whole rationale of His mission is contained in this: to call sinners. At the same time, it is manifested how far those who held authority among the Jews as teachers and zealots of the law—the scribes and Pharisees—were from the kingdom of God, as they were offended by Christ's manner of acting. Thus, the difference between Christ and the leaders of the people is shown by the event itself.
The Setting and the Call
Regarding the calling of Matthew, see Matt 9:9–13 and Luke 5:27–32. Matthew alone brings forward his own name, just as when he lists the apostles he calls himself "the publican" (Matt 10:3); the others use the name Levi, which most believe he bore before he followed Jesus. All three place the narrative after the healing of the paralytic. However, only from Mark is it clear that a longer interval of time had intervened.
Mk 2:13: And he went forth again to the sea. Mark alone teaches us that He went out to the sea; He went out from Capernaum again, as in Mk 1:35 (Schanz), or as most join the words, "again to the sea," so that palin ("again") refers back to Mk 1:16 (Mald. Calmet, Keil, Weiss). Just as He had previously called disciples while passing by the sea, so having set out again to the lake, He found and called Levi (Calmet). The ancients suggest He left the city to avoid the admiration of the crowds following the miracle (Mk1:12); it appears He left secretly after the crowds were dismissed because it does not say "and the crowds followed him," but and all the multitude came to him, i.e., they sought Him and gathered to Him. Maldonatus offers a plausible reason why He went to the sea: to teach the merchants who frequented the seaside for trade, who, intent on their own profit, had not come into the city to hear His doctrine. And he taught them (edidasken); the use of the imperfect tense seems to indicate a longer duration of time.
Mk 2:14 It is probable that a toll-booth (telonium) was there by the sea because of maritime commerce and because the road from Ptolemais toward Damascus skirted the Sea of Tiberias. Verse 14: And when he was passing by, he saw Levi the son of Alpheus sitting at the receipt of custom. He was therefore a portitor (tax-collector), who exacted tolls or duties on merchandise. This class of men was an abomination to the Jews because such taxes were paid to the Romans (foreigners) and because tax-collectors often used harassment to make a profit. Hence, because they served the Romans to oppress the people of God, they were considered apostates. In Latin usage, "publicans" were those of the equestrian order who farmed the taxes of an entire province for a fixed sum; the portitores were deputed by them to collect the taxes in individual cities. Both groups sought to make the greatest possible profit. How powerful is the grace of God is demonstrated by this example: and he saith to him: "Follow me." And rising up, he followed him. He invites him to leave his business and adhere to Him as a disciple, and Levi obeys without any delay.
The Names of Levi and Matthew
It is certain that the names Levi and Matthew designate one and the same person (cf. Cornely, Introd. III p. 15 seq.); so the ancients and moderns establish, except for a few rationalists. Since he is called the "son of Alpheus," and in the catalog of apostles "James the son of Alpheus" is listed, it is explained why in Codex D and some others the reading is "he saw James." In some codices he is called Labbaios, as some thought this Levi was the same as Lebbaeus (Thaddaeus); however, Origen (c. Cels. 1.62) does not entirely reject this view, noting that "Levi the publican" appears in some copies of Mark but not in the standard lists of the twelve. As Cotelerius notes, Origen should be understood as speaking by way of concession: "granted that Levi was a follower of Christ other than Matthew... but the name Levi does not exist in the catalogs of the apostles except in some copies of Mark." Origen was defending Christ against Celsus's accusation that He chose apostles from among publicans.
The Feast in Levi's House
Mk 1:15 Levi, exulting with joy, prepares a feast for Jesus and His disciples; Jesus turns aside into his house to show with what great familiarity He embraces those who, obeying Him, withdraw from the care of temporal things and a sinful life. Verse 15: And it came to pass, that as he sat at meat in his house (en tē oikia autou). It is plain that Matthew’s house is meant both from Luke’s narrative (5:29) and because the phrase "at his table" follows; therefore, Meyer's explanation that it was Jesus' house is incorrect. Just as Jesus went to the house of Peter and Andrew after calling them, so He reclines in the house of Matthew after calling him.
Jesus shows Himself as the friend of sinners and a physician. Many publicans and sinners sat down together with Jesus and his disciples. They were attracted by the kindness of Him who was held in contempt by the scribes. By including one of their number among His disciples, Jesus openly professed that no one is repudiated by Him; rather, special care is spent on the salvation of those most deeply entangled in the misery of sin. This must have brought great confidence and joy to their souls, seeing that Jesus was now known everywhere for such authority and that His manner of acting differed so greatly from the disdain and arrogance of the scribes.
The phrase for there were many and they followed him is interpreted in more than one way. Many refer this to the publicans (Bede, Mald., Calmet, etc.). "Mark alone said this to declare the efficacy and fruit of Christ's preaching, moved by which many publicans and sinners followed Him as disciples follow a master... they not only heard Him willingly but followed Him wherever He went" (Mald.). However, this interpretation has difficulties, as it was just stated that many publicans sat at meat; why repeat that "there were many"? Furthermore, it would imply a long history of sinners following Jesus, of which there has been no prior indication.
Following Patriarch's suggestion, the second interpretation is preferred: that the sentence refers to Christ's disciples, of whom Mark narrates there were now many who followed the Master (Schanz, Weiss). Since Mark is mentioning the disciples for the first time in this context, it was not out of place to note that their number was already large and they were constantly in Christ's company. It is not incredible that Christ had many disciples at this time, for not long after this, He chose the twelve apostles from among the disciples, and the calling of Matthew occurred toward the end of the first year of His public life (cf. Cornely, Introd. III p. 287). This explanation is preferable as it provides new information and expresses what is proper to disciples—namely, to follow Him continually.
Mk 2:16 The scribes did not enter the house of the publican and the sinner. Nor was that necessary for them to be able to see Jesus reclining at the table with publicans. Verse 16: And the scribes and the Pharisees, or according to another reading, "the scribes of the Pharisees"—that is, those who were of the party of the Pharisees and therefore the most zealous followers of the Law, who taught that one must abstain from all contamination with sinners—seeing that he ate with publicans and sinners, said to his disciples: "Why doth your master eat and drink with publicans and sinners?" They attack the disciples in order to vex them and turn them away from Jesus, hoping they might easily persuade them of the unworthiness of the matter; they fear to approach the Master Himself, having already experienced that He could not be challenged or rebuked with impunity. At the same time, by this offense, they manifest that they have learned absolutely nothing from the fact that Christ proved by a miracle that the power to forgive sins belongs to Him. For since He is endowed with such power, He wills and ought to prepare and dispose sinners to receive remission; therefore, He must deal with them, entice them to Himself, and give them courage by His courtesy and affability. Furthermore, if they had understood the Kingdom of God as it was announced by the prophets and by John the Baptist, they also could and should have perceived that salvation was to be offered to sinners (cf. Isa 1:18; Is 42:3; Is 49:9; Jer 3:22; Ezek 36:25 etc.; Matt 3:2, 8).
Mk 2:17 Christ responds by way of a proverb, but in such a way as to declare Himself at the same time as the Savior and Restorer. Verse 17: Which Jesus hearing, saith to them: "They that are well have no need of a physician, but they that are sick." Thus He says He is the physician of the human race, which is lost in sins; cf. Isa 35:4, "God himself will come and will save you," and Is 53:5, "by his bruises we are healed." Now if He is a physician, He must go to the sick; what can be more consequential? And the more anyone is entangled in greater and more numerous sins, the more by necessity he needed to be approached by the physician.
Therefore, by that question of the scribes, it is revealed that they did not perceive in the least from Jesus' manner of acting and teaching that which was nevertheless placed most clearly in the open: namely, that Jesus tends with every effort toward this—to effect an amendment of morals in all and to instruct the people in true piety. For this reason, Jesus explains that proverbial locution in His own words, adding: "For I came not to call the just, but sinners." The sense is the same; those whom He had previously called "well," He now calls "just"; those "sick," He now calls "sinners." As a physician bestows care on the sick, so a Savior saves those who are liable to destruction, i.e., sinners. Truly, from the sin of Adam all are born sinners; the whole human race is sick and labors under a manifold disease, as St. Augustine says: "The human race is sick, not with diseases of the body, but with sins; there lies throughout the whole world, from the east even unto the west, a great sick man; to heal the great sick man the Almighty Physician descended; He humbled Himself even to mortal flesh as if to the bed of the sick man" (Serm. 87, ch. 11). For all have sinned and do need the glory of God, as the Apostle says (Rom 3:23).
Hence there is no need to ask who are the "well" and "just," or how Christ says He did not come to call the just, when nevertheless there were just men in the Old Testament and in the time of Christ whom He surely invited to Himself. Nor is it necessary to explain either with Alber that those called are those who are far off, while the just are already near and joined with Jesus (wherefore they do not need calling), or with others that Jesus speaks ironically: "I came not to call you who justify yourselves" (Theophylact), which interpretation Maldonatus rightly says is of the ancient authors.
But it is manifest that all are called by Christ—that is, invited to penance—and to all are offered various graces by which they can save themselves; to the scribes and Pharisees also, Christ offered many opportunities for repentance through His doctrines, rebukes, and miracles. Nor is it necessary to interpret with Toletus: "I came not so much to call the just as sinners." Rather, it should be said with Cajetan: "He refutes the Pharisees by a twofold reason; the first is from the office of a physician, which is clear; the second reason is from His own office... in which He hints that none are just but all are sinners; for from the fact that He Himself came to call all and did not come to call the just, it follows that no one is just." Therefore, so that this single sentence—that Jesus is the physician and that He came to make safe the perishing, i.e., sinners—may be brought out clearly and with emphasis, it is enunciated twice: once affirmatively and once negatively, which is often done; see Matt 6:14, 15.
Matthew, writing for those who know the Scriptures, adds: "Go then and learn what this meaneth: I will have mercy and not sacrifice" (Hos 6:6). Mark and Luke do not have this, as they can by no means suppose the books of the Old Testament to be so well known among those to whom they write. Victor well notes that Jesus shows He did not come and is not present as a judge, but as a physician; "He performs that which is incumbent upon a physician; He associates with the sick and those who need healing." As for what the same author says concerning the calling of Matthew—that if Christ sees a pearl lying in the mud, He takes it up—this must be interpreted kindly, lest an error in the doctrine of grace be enunciated.
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