2nd Sunday of Mesore
Background
*Good morning, dear beloved*
We are coming to the end of the Coptic year now - today is the 2nd Sunday of the Blessed Month of Mesore.
And the Church arranged for us today the Gospel Reading of the Calling of Matthew the Apostle. Matthew was a tax-collector named Levi working in a tax office and the Lord passed by him and said two words: "Follow Me." The Gospels don't mention to us that they had any interaction before that. They don't mention that Levi saw a miracle or heard a teaching. It was two words - Follow Me.
I think to better understand this story, we have to understand a little bit of the culture in the time of the Lord Jesus Christ - 1st Century Judaism.
Follow Me
In those days, education was very structured for Jewish males. It was rare that a Jewish girl would be educated in the Synagogue or from a Rabbi, usually they were just educated by their mothers, grandmothers, or just from attending synagogue and participating. But for the boys, there was a structured program in the Synagogue.
A boy, from age 5-10 would go to the Synagogue and learn Torah, Hebrew Language, memorization, chanting, etc. Sort of like Elementary School. Then from age 10-14, they would go to school to learn the Oral Law and the Prophetic books. And this is like Middle School.
At 13 or 14 years old, there would be a split. Those students that were not the top of their class or were not so exceptional in their schooling, would go back to their family business or find a different trade to work in. They were respectable, but they were ordinary. What about the exceptional ones?
They would seek out Rabbis and ask to follow them. The Rabbi would examine him - quiz him on his knowledge of the Torah, test his memory, see how he applies Scripture to situations, assess his reputation. And if he doesn't pass the exam, the Rabbi would reject him. He might tell him to go back to his family and their trade, or tell him you don't have what it takes, or just you cannot be my disciple. Of course the bigger the Rabbi, the harder the test - a Rabbi in your local town will be easier than a Rabbi in Jerusalem who is a member of the Sanhedrin, for example.
So if he passes the Rabbi's test - if he is the best of the best, top of the class in his village or town, memorizing the whole Torah, etc. then the Rabbi would say to him "Follow me." And he would follow him.
The Lord Jesus comes to Levi today and says "Follow Me." No test, no memorization, no reputation... even though Levi had a terrible reputation. He's a tax collector - he's taking money from Jews and giving it to Romans, he's supporting the enemy! That didn't matter - "Follow Me." So it's no wonder that Levi left all, rose up, and followed Him. And the same goes for all of the disciples. The Lord chose His disciples from the rejected - those who were filtered out by the system already. Those who weren't the most knowledgeable in Torah. Those who didn't have advanced training in the Oral Law. Those who weren't experts in the prophets. Those who didn't have the best reputations. So the Lord, goes to THEM and says the words that they all wished to hear in their youth - "Follow Me."
What does it mean to "Follow Him?"
St Matthew - again, Levi is St Matthew - he did five things today. And we'll take them as five points for our benefit.
"And He said to him, 'Follow Me.' So he left all, rose up, and followed Him. Then Levi gave Him a great feast in his own house." (Luke 5:28-29)
1 - Hear His Voice
The first thing Levi did is he heard the voice of the Lord Jesus. And he wasn't in a private conversation, he wasn't in the Synagogue, he was sitting at the tax office. In the hustle and bustle of people paying their taxes and bartering and arguing, he heard the voice of the Lord.
Are we listening to the voice of the Lord?
The Lord is telling us to Follow Him... but can we hear Him?
There are other voices - the devil is trying to tempt us and to deceive us... we also hear our own voice: our passions and our desires. But can we set those aside and hear the voice of the Lord?
2 - He Left All
Leave behind the evil things, the things that are causing me to sin, the people that are causing me to sin, repentance.
Today in the Catholic Epistle, we read from 1 John: "Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world - the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life - is not of the Father but is of the world."
All that is in the world. Any evil thing or any sin can be categorized under these three categories: the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, the pride of life.
The gospel tells us that St Matthew "Left all." He didn't say "okay I'll follow you and I'll work as a tax-collector part-time." Or "I'll follow you on Saturday and Sunday but I have work during the week." No, he left all.
"Whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple." (Luke 14:33)
This is the message of repentance and the life of repentance. Leaving all is repentance.
We can't have the old life and the new life at the same time.
It seems radical to leave all... and it is! The Gospel is radical. Being a disciple is radical. If your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. Radical. Leave all - even my eye? Yes, even your eye. But what does that look like in practice?
St Matthew did not say "well I need to stay for my work." He didn't say "let me collect my pens and my papers." He didn't say "let me fetch my money." He left all.
Following the Lord requires us to leave all.
3 - Rose Up
He took action. Imagine if he said "Okay I'm following you, Jesus" but he doesn't get up from his chair... we do that sometimes.
- Okay Lord, today I'm going to pray as soon as I wake up! And then I set my alarm for 10 minutes before work.
- Okay Lord, today I'm going to read the Bible before I sleep! And then I turn on a movie.
- Okay Lord, this year I'm going to fast the whole Great Lent! And then I book a cruise for the first week of it.
I have to take action. St James says: "Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works." (James 2:18)
St Matthew rose up means he took an action. He made a decision in the moment. It's easy to say "I will follow you." It's hard to get up.
Following the Lord requires action. Levi rose up!
Remember St Paisa story from last night
4 - Followed Him
Following a Rabbi was not just "come walk behind me" - it meant to leave your home and your family and your village and your trade and travel with him full time. It mean to learn his teaching - what does he teach and how does he interpret the Scripture? It meant to imitate his life - his speech, his actions, his mannerisms. It is an apprenticeship, but also a devotion.
Can tie in the Pauline Epistle here
5 - Great Feast in His Own House
Readings
Vespers
- Pharisee and the Tax Collector
Pauline
- Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.
- Fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord
- Bondservants, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling
- Masters, do the same things to them, giving up threatening, knowing that your own Master also is in heaven
- Put on the whole armor of God
Catholic
- Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
- The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, the pride of life