My
first reflection about the call of both Saul and Levi (Matthew) is this: In calling us to do His work, God seems to
see what is BEST in us. When we often
times get caught up with what is wrong and crazy about me, my pained history,
my apparent wronged family background and uncontrolled compulsions, we would
like to believe that there is a God who sees the BEST in us. The
Book of Samuel describes Saul as “a handsome young man. There was no other
child of Israel more handsome than Saul; he stood head and shoulders above the
people.” God sees exactly what is BEST
in Saul and in us as well.
Similarly,
we can get hooked with descriptions of Levi (Matthew) as the corrupt and
perhaps even a scheming tax collector and publican. Much like the scribes and Pharisees, we may
find ourselves asking: “Why does Jesus
eat with the unclean … the tax collectors and sinners?” Jesus may have seen in Levi something beyond
the human eyes can see. The call of both
Saul and Levi tells us that the eyes and perspective of God are different. He sees what is BEST in us … yes … even in
the hearts of sinners. He comes not for
the righteous but the sinners … may mean for us … that God sees great
potentials in those who had strayed and had returned. Beneath the filth and dirt … God sees the
BEST in us.
Secondly,
God anoints people to serve as commanders over his heritage. This phrase we encounter in our first reading
today … the LORD had anointed Saul as “commander
… governor or protector of and over his heritage. What a responsibility, isn’t it? What heritage and ministry are we tasked to
commandeer or protect? The Book of
Samuel tells us: “You are to govern the
LORD’s people Israel, and to save them from the grasp of their enemies
roundabout.” We also allow the Gospel,
the work of Jesus to speak to us about what the Father wishes us to continue
and propagate: to ask people to COME and
FOLLOW Him. I realize that in all our dealings with people, we must need to ask ourselves: Will this activity and engagement bring more people to God? To govern God's people is not about leading them astray but rather and mores strongly showing them the path to following Jesus.
Lastly,
my constant question about the apostle Matthew:
Why is he also called Levi? The
simplest explanation is: many people in
the Bible have two names: Simon/ Peter;
Thomas/ Dydimus, etc. Nothing wrong
having two names. Another
explanation: Matthew is a Greek name,
and Levi is Hebrew name.
Another
question: Why do the Gospels of Luke and
Mark use Levi while Matthew uses “Matthew”?
An explanation, the evangelist Matthew preferred “Matthew” over his own
pre-conversion name, Levi.
Both
names are useful for us. We are both
Levi and Matthew. Levi means “to
take” or “taken from” while Matthew or Mattija
(Hebrew) means “the gift of the Lord”. As we answer the call of the Lord, we think
of ourselves as “Levi” the one taken by the Lord out of a crowd of believers
and sinner. In one description: TAKEN taken
out of the mass of the perishing. And we
are as well MATTHEW … as governor and commander of God’s heritage, we are asked
as well to serve as God’s gift and grace to His people and His church.
In summary, we would like to believe that God
sees the BEST in us. He
asks us to COME … FOLLOW Him to serve as a commander of His heritage. We
are LEVI: God TAKES us and picks us up from our cycle of compulsions to serve
as MATTHEW … God’s gift and grace to His people and His Church.
