Matthew the Apostle

Drawing of Matthew by Lorenzo Ferri according to the indications of Maria Valtorta. Source: documentary fund of the Maria Valtorta Heir Foundation.

Galilean of Capernaum, 12th and last apostle of Jesus. Son of Alphaeus, he has a sister who remains anonymous.

This tax collector (publican) is understandably far from popular among the pressured "taxpayers", many of whom are among the apostles.    

He is a reveler and exploiter, due to his function, whom Jesus recruits:

"What is he doing here? It's the first time. Maybe he hasn't found companions, especially female companions, with whom he spends the Sabbath, spending on orgies what he extorts from us in doubled and tripled taxes to have money for the tax office and for his vicious conduct."

The apostolic group will indeed remain astonished at Jesus’ sudden choice when he calls him. Jesus will later justify the choice of this public sinner (see below "apostolic path").      

Matthew tells of his path to conversion. He gradually lets himself be touched by the teaching of Jesus who often preaches in Capernaum.

He starts by sending to Jesus, anonymously through little James, purses for the relief of the poor. He hears Jesus preach repentance and mercy, then the proper use of riches.

All this precedes Jesus’ sudden "come and follow me". He obeys immediately by leaving his desk without picking up the scattered coins or even closing the chest.

"It has been almost three months that I weep... I did not know what to do... I wanted to come... But how to come to You, Holy One, with my soul soiled?"

It is on his knees that he asks forgiveness from the apostles:

"I unjustly taxed you. But here I kneel before you all and say: do not cast me out! He welcomed me. Do not be more severe than He is."

Levi-Matthew thus becomes the last apostle. To celebrate his regeneration, he hosts a feast that very evening which will be attended by "disreputable people" of Capernaum, his friends: Josias the pimp, Simon of Isaac the adulterer, Azarias the gambling den keeper... This causes scandal among the local Pharisees: Eli, Simon and Joachim. 

He also temporarily serves as treasurer in place of Judas when Jesus temporarily removes him from this role.    

He is one of the four evangelists.

Character and Appearance

The first real exchange between Jesus and Matthew takes place in front of the tax desk. Jesus comes unusually to pay the fishing tax for Peter:

"There is no tax for the Master's [[Disciples|disciple]" Matthew replies, and in a lower voice: "Pray for my soul."
- "I carry it in Me, for I shelter sinners there. But you... why do you not care?"

His definitive call by Jesus will not delay.

He is a short, stocky, and already aged man, roughly like Peter, that is, in his forties, who rises at the sound of Jesus' voice and presents to him "a face tired of indulgence."

Fairly refined and elegant: he is described mockingly by Peter, while Matthew is still the hated tax collector, as a "curly-haired man, more perfumed than a woman". After his conversion, he does not entirely abandon this refinement, as noted by Maria Valtorta in one scene:

"The apostles are very modestly dressed, 'except Judas Iscariot, Matthew, Simon and Bartholomew' ranked in descending order of elegance."  

He shows a strong character for having wanted to convert and succeeded.        

Mary summarized his portrait as:

"the humble who, remembering his past, sought to remain unnoticed."

Apostolic Path

Witness to the Last Supper, the Resurrection, the Ascension and Pentecost.   

Matthew describes his conversion thus:

"I was a sinner, a great sinner. I lived in complete error. I was hardened and was not bothered. If sometimes the Pharisees or the synagogue chief whipped me with their insults or reproaches, by recalling to me a God who was a relentless Judge, I had a moment of terror... and then I indulged in the foolish idea: 'In any case, now I am damned. So let us enjoy, oh my senses, while it is possible.' And I sank more than ever into sin."
"Two springs ago, a Stranger came to Capernaum (...) it was the beginning of His mission. (...)

He sought me out, or so I thought. He would not pass once before my desk without looking at me with His gentle and somewhat sad eye. And each time it was like a startle of my numbed consciousness, which did not return to the same level of stupor.     

(...) And then... and then... Oh! that day it was not a sad gaze, but an imperious look. He tore my heart, laid bare my soul, cauterized it, took in hand that poor sick soul, and tortured it by His demanding love... and I had a new soul. I went to Him with repentance and desire. He did not wait for me to say: 'Lord, have mercy!' He said to me: 'Follow me!'"

"My victory," Jesus said of him. And He said to him one evening:

"You are the man with all his painful human experience. Therefore, you are the one who, after having fed on filth and who now eats heavenly honey, can speak of both tastes and give a true analysis and understand, understand and make understood by your contemporaries and those to come. And they will believe you because, precisely, you are the man, the poor man who, by his will, becomes the just man God dreamed of. Let Me, the God-Man, lean on you, humanity whom I love enough to leave Heaven for you and die for you (...)."  

His past serves him in his new role as apostle:

"The only one of us who has no disgust for any sinner or sinful woman," Jude Thaddaeus said of him.

Jesus told him, regarding his future role as evangelist:

"You, my good chronicler, will repeat to them the parable of the ten wise and ten foolish virgins, and that of the master who gives talents to his three servants to make them bear fruit, and of the two who gain double and the lazy one who buries his. Do you remember?"

- "Yes, my Lord, exactly."

- "Then repeat them to these. Not all of them know them and even those who know will enjoy hearing them again."

His Name

Mattathias, Matthias, Matthew from the Hebrew "mattityah" gift of the Eternal.

Where is he mentioned in the work?

EMV 35 Beginning of the apostolate in Galilee: EMV 60
Apostolic journey to Judea: EMV 70
Choice of the last apostles: EMV 94 EMV 95 EMV 96 EMV 97
The last shepherds: EMV 98 EMV 99 EMV 100 EMV 101 EMV 106 EMV 102 EMV 103 EMV 104 EMV 105 EMV 108 EMV 109
In Judea-common life: EMV 110 EMV 111 EMV 112 EMV 115 EMV 116 EMV 117 EMV 118
Teachings on the Ten Commandments: EMV 119 EMV 120 EMV 121 EMV 122 EMV 123 EMV 124 EMV 125 EMV 126 EMV 127 EMV 128 EMV 129 EMV 130 EMV 131 EMV 132
Year-end celebrations: EMV 133 EMV 134 EMV 135 EMV 136 EMV 137 EMV 138 EMV 139 EMV 140 EMV 141 EMV 142
The Samaritan woman: EMV 143 EMV 144 EMV 145 EMV 146 EMV 147 EMV 149
Female apostolate: EMV 152 EMV 153 EMV 154 EMV 157 EMV 158
In Galilee, the choice of apostles: EMV 160 EMV 162 EMV 164 EMV 165 EMV 166
Sermon on the Mount: EMV 169 EMV 170 EMV 171 EMV 172 EMV 173 EMV 174 EMV 175 EMV 176
Apostolate in Galilee: EMV 177 EMV 178 EMV 179 EMV 180 EMV 181 EMV 182 EMV 183 EMV 184 EMV 186
The second Easter journey: EMV 187 EMV 188 EMV 189 EMV 190 EMV 191 EMV 192 EMV 193 EMV 194 EMV 195 EMV 196 EMV 197 EMV 198 EMV 199 EMV 200 EMV 201 EMV 202 EMV 203
Apostolate in Judea: EMV 205 EMV 206 EMV 206 EMV 207 EMV 208 EMV 210 EMV 211 EMV 212 EMV 212 EMV 214 EMV 215
Apostolate in Philistia: EMV 216 EMV 217 EMV 218 EMV 219 EMV 220 EMV 221 EMV 222 EMV 223 EMV 224 EMV 225
The conversion of Mary Magdalene: EMV 228 EMV 230 EMV 232 EMV 233 EMV 235 EMV 237 EMV 238 EMV 239 EMV 240 EMV 241 EMV 242 EMV 243 EMV 244 EMV 247 EMV 248 EMV 249 EMV 250 EMV 251 EMV 252 EMV 253 EMV 254 EMV 255
Sending of apostles and disciples on mission: EMV 256 EMV 257 EMV 260 EMV 261 EMV 262 EMV 265 EMV 266 EMV 267 EMV 268 EMV 269 EMV 271 EMV 272 EMV 273 EMV 274 EMV 275 EMV 276 EMV 277 EMV 278 EMV 279 EMV 280
Perea, Gilead and Trachonitis: EMV 281 EMV 284 4.149 - EMV 286 EMV 287 EMV 288 EMV 289 EMV 290 EMV 292 EMV 293 EMV 294 EMV 295 EMV 296 EMV 297 EMV 298 EMV 299 EMV 300 EMV 301 EMV 302
Year-end celebrations in Nazareth: EMV 312
The disciples’ journey to Antioch: EMV 313 EMV 314 EMV 315 EMV 316 EMV 318 EMV 319 EMV 320 EMV 321 EMV 322 EMV 323 EMV 324 EMV 325 EMV 326
Phoenicia and Upper Galilee: EMV 327 EMV 328 EMV 329 EMV 330 EMV 331 EMV 332 EMV 333 EMV 334 EMV 335 EMV 336 EMV 337 EMV 338 EMV 339 EMV 340 EMV 341 EMV 342 EMV 343 EMV 344 EMV 345 EMV 346 EMV 347
The Transfiguration and the Bread of Heaven: EMV 348 EMV 349 EMV 350 EMV 351 EMV 352 EMV 353 EMV 354 EMV 355 EMV 356 EMV 357 EMV 358 EMV 359 EMV 360 EMV 361 EMV 362 EMV 363
The penultimate Passover: EMV 364 EMV 365 EMV 366 EMV 367 EMV 368 EMV 369 EMV 370 EMV 371 EMV 372 EMV 375 EMV 376 EMV 377 EMV 378
In Judea: EMV 379 EMV 380 EMV 381 EMV 382 EMV 383 EMV 384 EMV 385
Farewells in Judea: EMV 386 EMV 387 EMV 388 EMV 389 EMV 390 EMV 391 EMV 392 EMV 393 EMV 394 EMV 398 EMV 399 EMV 402 EMV 403
Plain of Sharon: EMV 404 EMV 405 EMV 406 EMV 407 EMV 408 EMV 409 EMV 410 EMV 411 EMV 412
Pentecost, Decapolis and Plain of Esdraelon: EMV 413 EMV 414 EMV 415 EMV 416 EMV 417 EMV 418 EMV 419 EMV 420 EMV 421 EMV 422 EMV 423 EMV 424 EMV 425 EMV 426 EMV 427 EMV 428 EMV 429 EMV 430 EMV 431 EMV 432
Summer in Nazareth: EMV 435 EMV 436 EMV 437 EMV 440 EMV 441 EMV 443 EMV 444 EMV 445 EMV 446 EMV 447 EMV 448 EMV 449 EMV 450 EMV 451 EMV 452 EMV 453 EMV 454 EMV 455 EMV 456 EMV 457 EMV 458 EMV 459 EMV 460 EMV 461 EMV 462 EMV 463 EMV 465
In Syro-Phoenicia: EMV 466 EMV 467 EMV 468 EMV 469 EMV 470 EMV 471 EMV 475 EMV 473 EMV 474 EMV 475 EMV 475 EMV 475
The Feast of Tabernacles: EMV 495
In Moab and Judea: EMV 499 EMV 500 EMV 503 EMV 504 EMV 510 EMV 511 EMV 514 EMV 515 EMV 517 EMV 520 EMV 521
The Feast of the Dedication: EMV 529 EMV 531 EMV 532 EMV 535 EMV 536 EMV 537 EMV 538
The resurrection of Lazarus: EMV 547
Exile in Samaria: EMV 551 EMV 552 EMV 554 EMV 566 EMV 567 EMV 568 EMV 571 EMV 574 EMV 575
Return to Jerusalem: EMV 576 EMV 577 EMV 582 EMV 584 EMV 586 EMV 587
Holy Week: EMV 592 EMV 594 EMV 595 EMV 597 EMV 600 (to be completed)
Resurrection Sunday: EMV 621 EMV 626
From Resurrection to Ascension: EMV 628 EMV 629 EMV 630 EMV 631 EMV 634 EMV 635 EMV 638 EMV 639 EMV 640 EMV 649

Learn More About This Character

In this famous 13th century recension, Matthew is presented thus:

"Saint Matthew had two names, Matthew and Levi. Matthew means a hasty gift, or a giver of counsel. Or Matthew comes from magnus, great, and Theos, God, as if to say great to God, or from hand and Theos, hand of God. Indeed he was a hasty gift because his conversion was swift. He gave counsel by his saving preaching. He was great before God by the perfection of his life, and he was the hand God used to write his Gospel. Levi means taken, put, added, appended. He was taken from his tax office, put among the apostles, added to the company of Evangelists, and appended to the catalog of martyrs."

He is moreover endowed with four virtues: The promptness of his obedience, his generosity and liberality, his humility.

His gospel is one of the most read.