Facts & Statistics about matthew in the bible

The Tax Collector and the King: A Believer’s Complete Guide to St. Matthew and His Gospel

There are moments in life that change everything. A single word, a look, a quiet invitation can pivot a person’s entire existence from one path to another. For a man named Matthew, sitting at his tax collector’s booth in the bustling city of Capernaum, that moment came when a Nazarene rabbi looked at him and said two simple words: “Follow me.” In that instant, a man defined by his sin became a man defined by his Savior. A collector of worldly coins became a gatherer of eternal souls.

The story of St. Matthew is not just a piece of ancient history; it is a living testament to the breathtaking power of God’s grace. It is a story that speaks directly to our own lives, to our own fears that we are too broken, too compromised, or too far gone to be used by God. Matthew’s journey from social outcast to foundational apostle and evangelist shows us that no one is beyond the reach of Christ’s redemptive love.

This guide is an invitation to walk with Matthew. We will first seek to understand the man himself—his life before and after he met Jesus, and the powerful lessons his calling teaches us. We will then explore the timeless message he left behind in the Gospel that bears his name, a book written to prove that Jesus is the long-awaited King. Finally, we will look at his enduring legacy as a missionary, martyr, and patron saint. This is more than a collection of facts; it is a journey of discovery meant to deepen our faith and encourage our hearts to answer God’s call, just as Matthew did, with a ready and joyful “yes.”

Part 1: The Man Who Was Called

Before we can understand the message, we must first meet the messenger. The story of Matthew the man is one of dramatic transformation, a powerful prelude to the Gospel he would one day write. His life reveals the depths from which God calls us and the incredible new identity He offers.

Who Was Matthew Before He Met Jesus?

To understand the miracle of Matthew’s calling, we must first grasp the reality of who he was. He was not a respected religious scholar or a simple fisherman; he was a man at the very margins of his own society, despised for his profession and his collaboration with an occupying power.

His profession was that of a “publican,” or tax collector, in the busy commercial city of Capernaum, a hub of Roman activity on the Sea of Galilee.¹ He worked for Herod Antipas, the Roman-appointed ruler, collecting taxes and customs duties from his own people.³ This was a profession universally hated by the Jews. Tax collectors were seen as traitors, agents of the oppressive Roman Empire who grew rich from the subjugation of their kinsmen.⁴ They were infamous for their corruption, routinely overcharging citizens and pocketing the excess, which earned them a reputation for powerful greed and dishonesty.⁶

This career placed Matthew in a state of social and spiritual exile. He was officially labeled a “sinner,” a term that put him in the same despised category as prostitutes and other outcasts.⁸ He would have been barred from worship in the synagogue and excluded from normal community affairs. It was a life of wealth, but also one of deep isolation and shame.⁴

Even his name tells a story of spiritual conflict. The Gospels of Mark and Luke refer to him as “Levi, the son of Alpheus”.¹ The name Levi connects him to the priestly tribe of Israel, the lineage of Moses and Aaron, who were consecrated for sacred service to God.⁵ Yet, as a tax collector, he had abandoned this holy heritage for worldly gain, serving a pagan empire. He was a Levite who had forsaken his spiritual birthright. When Jesus calls him, the Gospel of Matthew uses the name Matthew, which means “Gift of God”.⁶ It is likely that Jesus gave him this new name, signifying a radical restoration. He was not just forgiven; his very identity was re-created. He moved from being a betrayer of the Old Covenant to becoming a foundational “gift” to the New.

The location of his calling was also deeply major. Jesus did not summon him in private. He called Matthew publicly, from his tax booth in the heart of Capernaum, a place teeming with Roman soldiers and commerce.¹ This was a deliberately provocative act. It was a visible declaration that the Kingdom of God was open to those whom the religious establishment deemed hopelessly unclean and irredeemable. It was a scandal that immediately set the stage for conflict with the Pharisees, demonstrating that Jesus’s grace actively confronts and overturns human judgments and power structures.⁵

What Happened When Jesus Said, “Follow Me”?

The biblical account of Matthew’s calling is a masterpiece of divine authority and human response. It is strikingly brief, yet it contains a world of meaning about the nature of discipleship.

The moment itself was simple. Jesus, passing by the customs post, saw Matthew and issued a direct, two-word command: “Follow me”.⁶ There was no long negotiation, no list of requirements, just a simple, authoritative summons. Matthew’s response was just as direct and absolute. The Scriptures tell us that “he rose and followed him,” leaving everything behind in an instant.⁶ He walked away from his tax booth, his lucrative career, his security, and all the wealth he had accumulated.⁷

What Matthew did next is just as revealing as his initial response. His very first act as a disciple was not to go to the Temple to perform a ritual of cleansing, but to throw “a great feast in his house” for Jesus.⁸ And the guest list for this feast was crucial: he invited “a large company of tax collectors and others”—his old his sinful colleagues, the very people society had cast out.⁶ He did not run from his past; he brought his new hope into the heart of it.

This gathering immediately provoked the criticism of the Pharisees, who asked Jesus’s disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”.¹² Jesus’s reply became a defining statement of His entire mission on earth: “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick…. For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners”.⁸

In this one event, we see the heart of the Gospel in action. Matthew’s first impulse was not to save himself, but to share his Savior. He used his home, his food, and his influence to build a bridge between the Redeemer and the people who needed redemption most. His feast was an act of immediate, relational evangelism. In leaving everything behind, Matthew was living out the very parables he would later record in his Gospel. His life became the story of the man who finds a “Hidden Treasure” or a “Pearl of Great Price” and, in his overwhelming joy, sells everything he has to possess it.¹⁴ He understood the supreme, all-surpassing value of the Kingdom of Heaven because he had personally made the transaction, trading his earthly fortune for the eternal treasure of following Christ.

What Can We Learn from Matthew’s Immediate “Yes” to Christ?

Matthew’s story is preserved in Scripture not just to inform us, but to form us. His dramatic conversion offers timeless lessons for every person who seeks to follow Jesus.

We learn the power of being truly seen. For a man like Matthew, who was defined by a despised profession and ostracized by his own people, the call of Jesus was a radical act of acceptance. Jesus looked past the label of “tax collector” and saw a man worthy of a new life and a new name.⁹ This teaches us a powerful truth: when we feel truly seen and loved by God for who we are, not what we’ve done, our fears can be overcome. A “yes” to His call becomes the most natural response of a grateful heart.

Matthew’s life teaches us about the urgency of vocation. His spontaneous, unhesitating response models the way we should approach God’s call in our own lives.¹⁶ A true vocation is not merely a career choice; it is a divine summons to fulfill God’s unique purpose for us, and it demands a decisive response.¹⁷ Matthew did not ask for time to consider or to put his affairs in order. He understood that the invitation from the King was a command that deserved immediate obedience.

Matthew’s story is a beautiful illustration of the paradox of grace. The man who seemed farthest from God, a public sinner and a traitor, became a model for how to accept God’s mercy.¹³ His life shows that God’s grace is often most powerfully revealed in the lives of those the world considers least worthy. This gives us incredible hope, reminding us that no one—including ourselves or those we love—is ever beyond the reach of redemption.⁵

Finally, Matthew’s example is a clear call to leave our old lives behind. To truly follow Christ requires abandoning our personal “tax booths”—whatever attachments, sins, securities, or false identities prevent us from following Jesus with our whole hearts.⁸ Matthew left his wealth and his old way of life without a backward glance, showing us that what we gain in Christ is infinitely more valuable than anything we could ever leave behind.

Part 2: The Gospel of the Kingdom

After answering Jesus’s call, Matthew became a witness to His life, death, and resurrection. His greatest legacy to the world is the Gospel that bears his name—a timeless, inspired testimony written to proclaim that Jesus of Nazareth is the Christ, the promised King who came to establish the Kingdom of Heaven on earth.

Did the Apostle Matthew Write the Gospel That Bears His Name?

The question of who wrote the first Gospel is one that invites us to look at the wisdom of the early Church. From the very beginning, there has been a powerful and unbroken tradition that attributes this Gospel to the Apostle Matthew.¹²

This tradition is not a late invention. Early Christian leaders who lived close to the time of the apostles, like Papias of Hierapolis (around 110 AD) and St. Irenaeus of Lyons (around 180 AD), explicitly stated that Matthew was the author.¹ In fact, every single ancient manuscript of the Gospel that has a title attributes it to Matthew—there is no competing tradition.¹⁸ This ancient and universal agreement was so strong that the Catholic Church’s Pontifical Biblical Commission formally affirmed it in 1911.¹⁸

Part of this early tradition also holds that Matthew first wrote his account in the language of his people, Hebrew or Aramaic, with the specific intention of reaching Jewish converts to Christianity.¹¹ While that original Aramaic text has been lost to history, the Greek version that we have today has always been accepted by the Church as the inspired, canonical, and faithful record of Matthew’s apostolic testimony.¹¹

In modern times, some scholars have raised questions. They note that Matthew’s Gospel shares much of its material with Mark’s Gospel and wonder why an eyewitness like Matthew would need to rely on the account of Mark, who was not one of the Twelve Apostles.¹ This question, But can be understood in a way that deepens our faith. The same early Church that attributed the first Gospel to Matthew also held that Mark’s Gospel was based on the preaching and memories of the Apostle Peter.²³ Therefore, when Matthew drew upon Mark’s material, he was not relying on a stranger but was honoring and incorporating the testimony of his fellow apostle and the leader of the Twelve, Peter.

The very style and structure of the Gospel seem to bear Matthew’s unique fingerprints. As a former tax collector, he would have been meticulous, organized, and skilled at keeping records—perhaps even able to use a form of shorthand.²⁴ This perfectly fits the character of the Gospel, which is more orderly and teaching-focused than the others, beautifully arranging Jesus’s words into five great discourses, like a well-kept ledger. The book also shows a special interest in money and financial matters, using specific monetary terms that are unique among the Gospels.²⁵ The author is clearly a Jewish man deeply immersed in the Old Testament, yet he concludes his work with a mission to the entire Gentile world. Who fits this profile better than Levi, the Jewish tax collector who worked for the Gentile Romans and became Matthew, the Apostle to the world? The evidence of tradition and the internal character of the book itself point powerfully to him as its author.

What Are the Great Themes of Matthew’s Gospel?

The Gospel of Matthew is a vast web woven with powerful theological truths, all designed to answer one central question: Who is Jesus? For Matthew, the answer is clear: Jesus is the long-awaited Messiah-King, the fulfillment of all of God’s promises to Israel, and the Savior of the world.

The central pillar of his Gospel is that Jesus is the Promised Messiah-King. Matthew begins not with a miracle, but with a royal genealogy, meticulously tracing Jesus’s lineage back through Israel’s greatest king, David, and all the way to Abraham, the father of the faith.¹² He repeatedly refers to Jesus as the “Son of David,” a title overflowing with messianic hope, and presents His life as the arrival of Israel’s true and eternal King.²⁷

To prove this, Matthew constantly emphasizes the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy. More than any other Gospel writer, he acts as a bridge between the Old and New Testaments. He uses “fulfillment formulas”—phrases like, “This took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet…”—over and over again. With more than 130 quotes and allusions to the Hebrew Scriptures, he demonstrates that Jesus is not a break from Israel’s story, but its long-awaited climax.²⁷

The central message of this King is the arrival of the Kingdom of Heaven. This is Matthew’s unique and preferred phrase for the reign of God on earth, and he uses it 32 times.⁷ This Kingdom is not a political empire but God’s loving rule breaking into a broken world through the person and ministry of Jesus.

In presenting this Kingdom, Matthew masterfully portrays Jesus as the New Moses. Just as Moses ascended Mount Sinai to receive the Law, Jesus ascends a mountain to deliver the Sermon on the Mount, the New Law of the Kingdom.¹⁰ He does not abolish the old Law but fulfills it, deepening its meaning and writing it on the hearts of His followers.³¹

This leads to another key theme: the formation of a new community, the Church. Matthew is the only evangelist to use the Greek word for ekklesia.³² He provides foundational teachings for this new family of faith, including the special authority given to Peter as the rock on which Christ will build His Church 11, and practical instructions on forgiveness and community life.³³

Finally, the entire Gospel is framed by the beautiful and powerful theme of Jesus as Immanuel, meaning “God with us.” This is announced at Jesus’s miraculous conception 12 and it is the very last promise Jesus makes to His disciples after the resurrection: “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:20). This is Matthew’s ultimate declaration of Jesus’s divinity and His promise of an abiding, personal presence with His people forever.

Which of Jesus’s Parables Are Found Only in Matthew?

Jesus taught in parables—earthly stories with heavenly meanings—to reveal the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven to those with hearts to hear. While many of these stories appear in other Gospels, Matthew gives us a unique collection of parables that powerfully illustrate his key themes, especially the priceless value of the Kingdom and the sober reality of the final judgment.³⁴

These parables, found only in Matthew’s account, include:

• The Weeds (or Tares) Among the Wheat (Matthew 13:24-30)¹⁴
• The Hidden Treasure (Matthew 13:44)¹⁴
• The Pearl of Great Price (Matthew 13:45-46)¹⁴
• The Dragnet (Matthew 13:47-50)¹⁴
• The Unmerciful Servant (Matthew 18:23-35)¹⁴
• The Workers in the Vineyard (Matthew 20:1-16)¹⁴
• The Two Sons (Matthew 21:28-32)³⁴
• The Ten Virgins (Matthew 25:1-13)¹⁴
• The Talents (Matthew 25:14-30)³⁴
• The Sheep and the Goats (Matthew 25:31-46)³⁴

A beautiful balance exists within these unique stories. On one hand, parables like the Workers in the Vineyard reveal God’s shocking and extravagant grace, which is not bound by human standards of fairness. This would have been a great comfort to the early especially to Gentile converts who may have felt like “latecomers” compared to their Jewish brethren.³⁴ On the other hand, parables like the Weeds, the Ten Virgins, and the Talents deliver a sobering warning about the need for watchfulness, faithful stewardship, and righteous living. They remind the community that while grace is a free gift, it calls for a responsible life, because a day of accounting is coming. This pastoral pairing of radical grace and serious responsibility offers both powerful comfort and a holy challenge to every believer.

What Miracles of Jesus Are Unique to Matthew’s Gospel?

The miracles Jesus performed were more than just displays of supernatural power; they were tangible signs that confirmed His identity as the Messiah and demonstrated that the Kingdom of Heaven was truly at hand.³⁵ These acts showed His divine authority over sickness, nature, the demonic realm, and even death itself. While Matthew shares many miracle stories with the other Gospels, he includes a few powerful accounts that are unique to his testimony.

These miracles, found only in Matthew, are not random additions but are carefully chosen to highlight his primary theological themes:

• The Healing of Two Blind Men (Matthew 9:27-31): In this touching story, two blind men follow Jesus, crying out with a title full of messianic significance: “Have mercy on us, Son of David!” Jesus heals them according to their faith, directly affirming His identity as the promised royal heir of David who would open the eyes of the blind.³⁶
• Peter Walking on Water (Matthew 14:28-32): While other Gospels record Jesus walking on the sea, only Matthew includes the dramatic scene of Peter stepping out of the boat in faith. When Peter takes his eyes off Jesus and sees the wind, he begins to sink, crying out, “Lord, save me!” Jesus immediately reaches out His hand and rescues him. This exclusive account serves as a powerful, personal lesson on the nature of faith, the reality of doubt, and the special role of Peter within the community of disciples.³⁸
• The Temple Tax in the Fish’s Mouth (Matthew 17:24-27): This is one of the most remarkable and unique miracles. When asked if Jesus pays the temple tax, Peter is instructed by the Lord to go and catch a fish. In its mouth, he finds a four-drachma coin, the exact amount needed to pay the tax for both of them. This is a quiet but powerful display of Jesus’s divine authority over all creation and a subtle teaching about His identity. As the Son of God, He is rightfully exempt from the tax for His Father’s house, but He performs the miracle to avoid causing offense.³⁶
• The Saints Raised at the Crucifixion (Matthew 27:51-53): In a stunning and mysterious passage found nowhere else, Matthew records that at the very moment of Jesus’s death, the earth shook, rocks split, and tombs were opened. After Jesus’s resurrection, “many bodies of the holy people who had died were raised to life” and appeared to many in Jerusalem. This apocalyptic miracle is a powerful proclamation that Christ’s death was not a defeat but a world-shattering victory that broke the bonds of death itself, signaling the dawn of the new creation.⁴⁰

Part 3: The Legacy of the Evangelist

Matthew’s story did not end when he finished writing his Gospel. As an apostle, he was called to carry the message of the King to the ends of the earth. His life after Christ’s Ascension, his ultimate sacrifice as a martyr, and his enduring role as a patron saint form the final, powerful chapters of his legacy.

What Does the Catholic Church Teach About St. Matthew and His Gospel?

The Catholic Church holds St. Matthew in the highest regard, venerating him as a foundational Apostle, Evangelist, and martyr. The Church’s understanding of Matthew and his Gospel is deeply rooted in Sacred Tradition, which it sees as a vital source of divine revelation alongside Sacred Scripture.

On the authorship of his Gospel, the Church’s constant tradition, formally affirmed by the Pontifical Biblical Commission in the early 20th century, is that the Apostle Matthew is the author of the first Gospel.¹¹ This tradition holds that he originally wrote it in Aramaic for a Jewish-Christian audience, and that the Greek text we have today is the inspired, canonical version that is substantially identical to the original.¹¹ Although the Church is aware of modern scholarly discussions about the Gospel’s sources and composition, it firmly upholds the book’s essential connection to the direct apostolic witness of St. Matthew.⁴³

Matthew’s Gospel is also of central importance to the Catholic understanding of the Church itself. Jesus’s words to Peter in Matthew 16:18-19—“You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church… I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven”—are seen as the primary scriptural foundation for the papacy. This passage is understood as Christ establishing Peter and his successors as the visible head of His Church on earth, entrusting them with the authority to teach, govern, and sanctify.¹¹

The Great Commission at the end of Matthew’s Gospel (Matthew 28:19) is a cornerstone of the Church’s self-understanding. The command to “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them…” is the foundation for the Church’s universal missionary mandate and for the sacrament of Baptism, which is held to be necessary for salvation.¹¹

Finally, the Church venerates St. Matthew with a feast day on September 21. His holy relics are believed to be enshrined in the crypt of the Salerno Cathedral in southern Italy, which has been a site of pilgrimage for centuries, a physical reminder of the man who left his tax booth to follow the King.¹

How Did St. Matthew Die? The Story of a Martyr’s Faith

The consistent and ancient tradition of the Church is that St. Matthew, like most of the apostles, sealed his testimony of Christ not only with his words but with his very life. He died a martyr’s death, receiving the ultimate crown of a faithful disciple.³

Although the earliest sources are unanimous that he was martyred, they provide differing accounts of the exact location and method. Some traditions mention that he was burned, stoned, or beheaded.¹³ But the most detailed and enduring story of his martyrdom comes from traditions about his missionary work in Ethiopia.¹

According to this account, Matthew’s preaching had been incredibly fruitful, leading to the conversion of many, including the princess Ephigenia, who, under his spiritual guidance, consecrated herself to God with a vow of virginity.¹ After her father’s death, the new king, Hirtacus, desired to marry her for political power. He demanded that Matthew persuade the princess to break her vow. Matthew refused, inviting the king to Mass, where he preached that Ephigenia was a bride of Christ and could not be given to an earthly king. Enraged and publicly humiliated, King Hirtacus ordered one of his soldiers to kill the apostle. Matthew was run through with a sword or spear as he stood praying at the very altar where he had just celebrated the Eucharist.¹

Although the historical details of this story cannot be verified with certainty, its spiritual truth is powerful. The man who wrote the Gospel of the suffering King completed his own story by suffering for that King. His martyrdom was his final, unwritten sermon, the ultimate act of “following” Jesus. His death at the altar poignantly unites his own sacrifice with the perfect sacrifice of Christ he proclaimed throughout his life. It is a powerful testament to the cost and the glory of true discipleship.

Why Is St. Matthew the Patron Saint of Bankers, Accountants, and Tax Collectors?

St. Matthew is honored in the Church as the patron saint of all who work in financial professions, including bankers, accountants, bookkeepers, and, of course, tax collectors.⁴⁴ This patronage is a direct link to his life before he met Jesus, when he sat at the customs post in Capernaum.⁵⁰

But his patronage is about something much deeper than his former profession. It is about the power of redemption. Matthew is the patron of finance not because he was good at making money, but because his life is the ultimate proof that a life centered on money can be radically reoriented toward God. He is a model of how worldly work, with all its temptations and moral complexities, can be sanctified.

His story offers powerful hope and a powerful example for anyone in these fields. He demonstrates that the skills one uses for worldly gain—meticulousness, attention to detail, managing accounts—can be consecrated for heavenly purposes, just as he used his orderly mind to compose his Gospel. St. Matthew stands as a powerful intercessor for those in finance, not to help them acquire more wealth, but to help them maintain their integrity, to find a higher purpose in their work, and, like him, to always remember that the “treasure in heaven” is of infinitely greater value than any earthly fortune.¹³ He reminds us that the most important transaction any of us will ever make is to exchange our old life for a new one in Christ.

Conclusion: Finding Ourselves in St. Matthew’s Story

The journey of St. Matthew, from a despised tax collector to a pillar of the is one of the most hopeful and inspiring stories in all of Scripture. It is a vivid portrait of the transformative power of God’s grace, a power that is just as available to us today as it was to a man sitting at a customs booth in Galilee two thousand years ago.

Matthew’s life teaches us that our past does not define our future in God’s eyes. He was a man whom society had written off, yet Jesus saw in him a future apostle and evangelist. His story is a permanent reminder that no one is too lost to be found, too broken to be made whole, or too sinful to be used for God’s glory. When we are tempted to believe that our own mistakes or shortcomings disqualify us from a life of purpose, we can look to Matthew and take heart.

His Gospel proclaims a King who established a new kind of kingdom—a kingdom of mercy, forgiveness, and upside-down values, where the last are first and the greatest are servants. His unique parables challenge us to consider the supreme value of this kingdom and to joyfully give our all for it. His own life was the first and best illustration of this truth.

Matthew’s story is an invitation. It is the same invitation Jesus extended to him: “Follow me.” That call echoes down through the centuries and reaches us today in our own unique circumstances. It asks us to rise from whatever “tax booth” we may be sitting at—our comfort, our fears, our attachments, our sin—and to step out in faith. It promises that if we do, we will find a new identity, a new purpose, and a new life in the service of the one true King.

Let us pray with the Church:

We thank you, heavenly Father, for the witness of your apostle and evangelist Matthew to the Gospel of your Son our Savior; and we pray that, after his example, we may with ready wills and hearts obey the calling of our Lord to follow him; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.¹⁶