Long form biography of Matthew also called Levi. Matthew was a tax collector a profession that made him an outsider in Jewish society until Jesus called him to follow. His response to the call and his presence at a table with other tax collectors and sinners highlight the gospel theme of grace and inclusion. Tradition attributes the Gospel bearing his name to him though authorship is debated among scholars. Matthew the evangelist is remembered for bridging Jewish scriptural tradition with the proclamation of Jesus as Messiah and for shaping early Christian instruction and community life.
Matthew 9:9; Matthew 10:3; Gospel of Matthew