St. Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist
Have you ever thought about the politics that were present among the disciples of Jesus?
I’m not referring just to the way in which they related to each other. I mean the disciples’ involvement in the secular politics of the day, in that corner of the Roman Empire in which they and Jesus lived.
Consider where St. Matthew was, and what he was doing, when he was called by Jesus to be one of his disciples. Matthew himself tells us, in today’s reading from his Gospel, that Jesus
“saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, ‘Follow Me.’ So he arose and followed Him.”
Matthew was a Jew, but he worked for the Romans. Indeed, as a tax collector, he was considered by most to be a dishonorable collaborator with this unwelcome occupying power. The politics of collaboration were smeared all over Matthew’s job and all over Matthew and his standing in the community.
The Romans were idolaters. And the culture of the Romans was filled with behaviors that were morally repugnant to Jews. Various forms of sexual deviancy, and abortion and infanticide, were common among the Romans.
And Matthew, and people like him, were helping these pagan Romans gain an ever firmer foothold in the land of Israel, with all of their wicked, corrupting influences!
But the way Matthew and people like him saw it, was that the Romans were the great power of the age. Whether we like it or not, they are in charge. So we might as well get used to them, and make the best of their presence.
Another of the disciples of Jesus was known as Simon the Zealot. The Zealots were also a highly politicized group in first-century Palestine.
Politically, they were the exact opposite of people like Matthew. The Zealots were committed Jewish nationalists who were always looking for opportunities to attack the Romans and undermine their control.
They were willing to use violence. Their ultimate dream was for the Romans to be driven out of the holy land altogether, by a messianic military leader for whom they were always waiting and praying.
The insurrectionist tactics of the Zealots often brought about retaliation and reprisals from the Romans, which ended up hurting people other than the Zealots themselves. And so for a lot of Jewish people – while they didn’t like the Romans, and didn’t enjoy having them around – they also didn’t like the way the Zealots provoked them and got them angry.
Now, we might think that once Matthew and Simon became disciples of Jesus, they would have left all of their politics behind them. And in many respects, they no doubt did. But maybe not in all respects.
Elsewhere in Matthew’s Gospel, we are given a list of the twelve apostles, after Jesus had appointed them to that office, together with a brief added description of most of them. That list includes “Matthew the tax collector” and “Simon the Zealot.”
Matthew’s identity as a tax collector was still attached to him. Simon’s identity as a Zealot was still attached to him. They were still identified on the basis of the political associations they previously had, before becoming followers of Christ.
And even as followers of Christ, it is easy to imagine that Matthew still leaned toward the politics of trying to get along with the Romans as much as possible, short of an outright embracing of their idolatry and immorality; and that Simon still leaned toward the politics of opposing the Romans as much as possible, short of violence and murder.
Christians who take the Bible seriously will have a shared worldview and common civic values at a fundamental level. The details of their political priorities and strategies will, however, often differ. And that’s okay.
In the first century, among the Jewish people of Palestine, the politics of the day seemed to them to be of the utmost importance. Angry clashes between people on different ends of the political spectrum likewise seemed justified and necessary, because of how important the issues were.
These issues would never go away, it was thought. They would continue to be the most important things to be thinking about and arguing about.
But the politics of first-century Palestine, with all of the passions that were inflamed by the issues of that time, did go away. The Romans have been gone for a long time.
And the conflicts that were swirling around Jesus and his disciples did not get absorbed into the permanent, ongoing life of the Christian church, either. Old conflicts between the group that Matthew had been associated with, and the group that Simon had been associated with, are not lingering among us in the church, because they were never brought into the church.
Something else had come to be seen by all the disciples of Jesus as more important, more overriding, and more significant. What Jesus said to Matthew – and by extension to all his disciples – was now the strongest influence and the defining feature of their lives.
“Follow me,” Jesus said. Follow me into your new understanding of yourself, and of your destiny beyond life in this world: as a forgiven child of God, and as a citizen of his eternal kingdom.
Follow me into your new earthly vocation, as preachers and teachers of the gospel: not just in your own nation, where you are comfortable and connected, but in all nations. Follow me into your new way of thinking about earthly politics, as you all, together, now endeavor in my name to be the light of the world and the salt of the earth.
The temptation would have been great for Matthew, Simon, or others, to bring their politics into their faith, and to let their politics shape their faith. Before the Day of Pentecost, we can see an example of this, when the disciples asked Jesus: “Will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” And Jesus replied:
“It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
Even after the resurrection of their Lord, the disciples still had a political vision of what the risen Jesus would be doing in the world. It was only after they were filled with the Holy Spirit, that they were set free from this.
Now, Matthew, Simon, and the rest, no doubt still had political views. And they may have had differing political views – remnants of what their differing political views had been years earlier.
But their faith in Christ took the rough edges off of their politics. What may previously have been seen as of greatest importance, was seen now as only of secondary importance.
This is the way it needs to be for us, too. Each of us is not only a religious person, connected to the church, but is also a political person, connected to the larger society. And for many of us – as with others in our land – our politics may have become very intense in recent years.
But if that is the case, then our theology needs to be even more intense. Who we are as Christians must always be a greater influence on what we think and say, and on what we do and how we do it, than anything that comes from the world of politics.
The Bible gives us some important guidance, not only for our faith and personal life as Christians, but also for our public, political life. Some of what we read in the Old Testament still applies. In the Book of Proverbs we are told that
“Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people.”
This is not just about the ancient Kingdom of Israel. This is about all nations, and all peoples – or at least it should be.
God wants civil righteousness to prevail in all nations, so that in their communal existence people will respect each other, and fulfill their civic obligations to each other, on the basis of the moral law of God: which is accessible to everyone, not only from the Ten Commandments, but also from the voice of the human conscience – if people would only listen to that voice.
If there are believing Christians in any given nation, then we especially expect them to try to have an influence in their society for public righteousness and good, and against public sin and evil.
To that end, as we engage in political discourse, the obligations of the eighth commandment always apply. We need discerning ears, so that we do not automatically believe the worse about our political opponents, based on lies or half-truths, or based on people with an agenda misquoting them.
Instead, listen to what others actually say – in context – and read what they actually write. And then respond – while also always putting the best interpretation on their words, not the worst interpretation.
And it is sadly necessary to say in our troubled times that threats, intimidation, violence, and murder must never be condoned, excused, or carried out, as a response to political speech that angers us, frightens us, or is successful in persuading others not to agree with us.
What God said to the people of Israel regarding the spiritual issues he had with them, we should also say, calmly, to those with whom we may not yet have reached an understanding in political matters: “Come now, and let us reason together.”
The Book of Jeremiah quotes for us the divine guidance that was given to the Jews who would now be living in exile in Babylon:
“Build houses and dwell in them; plant gardens and eat their fruit. Take wives and beget sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons and give your daughters to husbands, so that they may bear sons and daughters – that you may be increased there, and not diminished. And seek the peace of the city where I have caused you to be carried away captive, and pray to the Lord for it; for in its peace you will have peace.”
We know, as St. Paul tells us in his Epistle to the Philippians, that “Our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.” So in the deepest sense, no country on earth is our true home.
Branches of my family have been living continuously in America for 405 years, but America is not my eternal dwelling place. Its history and culture do not give me my ultimate identity. It is my temporary Babylon, not my Holy Land.
And yet, as God has providentially placed me and my family here, I will live here. I will fulfill my vocations here. And I will pray for the peace and prosperity of this country.
In the realm of politics, I will speak, work, and vote in keeping with the responsibility and calling that God has given me, according to my best judgment. But I will not think that living and working for the betterment of my native land in this world is more important than being a citizen of God’s kingdom in the world that is to come.
St. Matthew is probably best known as the human author of the Gospel that bears his name. And in that Gospel, he recounts for us a conversation that Jesus once had with some of his detractors:
“Then the Pharisees went and plotted how they might entangle [Jesus] in His talk. And they sent to Him their disciples, with the Herodians, saying: ‘Teacher, we know that You are true, and teach the way of God in truth; nor do You care about anyone, for You do not regard the person of men. Tell us, therefore, what do You think? Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?’”
“But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, ‘Why do you test Me, you hypocrites? Show Me the tax money.’ So they brought Him a denarius. And He said to them, ‘Whose image and inscription is this?’ They said to Him, ‘Caesar’s.’ And He said to them, ‘Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.’”
This conversation was heavily freighted with the politics of the day. The Pharisees and Herodians, who usually clashed, on this occasion formed a temporary “political alliance” against Jesus, to try to get him in trouble with the Romans.
The Pharisees could not stand having the Romans around, and avoided contact with them whenever they could. But they kept their mouths shut about it, and didn’t say out loud what they really thought.
The Herodians, in contrast, were open collaborators with the Romans. Their name was taken from the dynasty of Herodian rulers, who were puppet kings under Roman control. Matthew had essentially been one of them.
But Jesus navigates through the trap they tried to set for him, by expressing the dual loyalty and obedience that all of us have. Our first loyalty is to God and his church. We confess Jesus in particular to be our Lord, and as Lord and king he governs our thoughts, words, and deeds through the authority of his Word.
But we are also loyal to the civil government under which we live on earth, even if we don’t like a lot of the things that this government does. Most Jews had real issues with the Romans. But the Romans were the government. Caesar was the head of that government.
And so they and we render to Caesar what is due to Caesar, as long as Caesar does not command us to sin. Only then would we disobey.
And when Caesar does not command us to sin, but upholds the moral law of God in the laws that are made and enforced for the ordering of the society, then we recognize that God is actually working through Caesar, as his minister and instrument.
Elsewhere in St. Matthew’s Gospel, another conversation is recounted, which was not about worldly politics, but was about the unique purpose and mission of the church. This is a conversation that Jesus had with his disciples before his ascension. He is also having that conversation now, with us:
“And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, ‘All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’”
This momentous and unchanging mission has been entrusted to the church, and not to any civil government. This mission is to be fulfilled among all nations, under a wide assortment of governments and political systems.
The deepest needs of the human conscience are not political needs that can be met by the platform of a political party. They are the need for God’s forgiveness of our sins, the need for reconciliation with the God whom we have pushed away by our sins, and the need for the new spiritual life that the Holy Spirit always brings with this forgiveness and reconciliation.
The tools of government – tools of coercion and enforcement – are definitely not suited to the dispensing of these supernatural blessings. But the tools that Jesus has given to the church – the gospel, to be proclaimed and taught; and the sacraments, to be administered as he commands – are suited to this.
And those divine tools do work in delivering salvation even to the most fearful, the most discouraged, the most remorseful, and the most confused among men.
Because of Jesus, and because of what he has done for you in his death and resurrection, your sins are pardoned. You, as a redeemed sinner, are at peace with God.
And because of what Jesus does for you now – through the ministry of his church – you are at peace within yourself. As a baptized member of the holy Christian church, your conscience is clear.
And, you now have a God-given faith that is able to look beyond the horizons of this world – with all of its turmoil and upheaval, and with all of its divisive politics – to the eternal dwelling place that Jesus has gone to prepare for all of us.
The church prays that wherever it goes on this earth, it will have the freedom to do what Jesus has called it to do: in announcing this eternal hope to one and all. We don’t want the civil authorities to take over this task, but simply to stay out of the church’s way.
And in turn, the church, in its Biblical teaching, encourages among believers respect for the civil authorities and for the law of the land, honesty and fairness in how we speak and act, and a continuing commitment to love our neighbors as we love ourselves.
These are the things that shape the politics of a Christian. And these are the kinds of things that will make any earthly society to be a better society.
We close with these words from Jesus, as St. Matthew – the apostle, the evangelist, and the tax collector – records them for us:
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so?”
Lord Jesus Christ, with us abide, for round us falls the eventide;
Nor let Thy Word, that heavenly light, for us be ever veiled in night.
In these last days of sore distress, grant us, dear Lord, true steadfastness,
That pure we keep, till life is spent, Thy holy Word and Sacrament. Amen.