13th Week in Ord. Time, Friday – 1st July 2022 — Gospel: Mt 9,9-13
Looking Beyond
Only in the Gospel of Matthew the tax collector is called Matthew. In Mark and Luke, he is called Levi. However, in the lists of the twelve in both Mark and Luke, the disciple is named Matthew and Levi does not appear.
When the penetrating gaze of Jesus fell upon Matthew, he saw him beyond the prejudices of culture. He looks beyond the humanly derived political agendas or social platforms or the role he played in society. Jesus looks beyond the surface to see the dignity of the wounded person. That implies seeing the heart or soul of a person. Therefore, when Jesus looked at Matthew, he saw his entire history from the moment of his splendid creation, through the messiness of life, to the present state of his soul. On the other hand, Jesus saw Matthew first and foremost as a reflection of himself, created in His image and likeness, as a child of God. Most people who passed by the tax office would see a corrupt official, whereas Jesus was able to see a potential disciple. It was Jesus’ way of looking that led to the transformation and the response of Matthew to the call. Jesus always calls the whole person, as he is, because he sees beyond the present to the potential apostle.
