The Master’s men - Part 6The Master’s men - Part 6 Thomas and MathewThomas and Mathew

Mathew 10:1 to 4Mathew 10:1 to 4

12 ORDINARY INDIVIDUALS . . .12 EXTRA ORDINARY SACRIFICE

So far we have covered 6 of the Master’s men starting from the first group of Peter, Andrew, James and John. Last Sunday we discussed the members of the second group, Philip, and Bartholomew. Now we will talk be discussing the last 2 members of the 2nd group, Thomas and Mathew.

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Up close & personal: THOMAS – The “pessimistically dedicated” apostle

. Name: Thomas (Aramaic) also called Didymus (Greek) (Which both means “twin”) Also popularly known as Thomas the doubter and Thomas the Apostle.

Former Occupation: Unknown

Family relations: Unknown

Hometown: Unknown

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Thomas has always been known primary for his doubt. But a careful look at the Gospel accounts reveals this disciple was a man of great faith and dedication. The following text where he appears in the Gospel will give us an insight into what kind of man he really was.

1.) John 11:11 to 16 - This text tells us that news came to Jesus that his good friend Lazarus has died. On hearing the news, Jesus told his disciples that they will go to Lazarus to Bethany. Going to Bethany was near Jerusalem and going there is as dangerous as going to Jerusalem because they have been threatened to be stoned there (vs. 7 and 8)

Fully realizing the danger for all of them, Thomas encouraged the 12 to go with Jesus and suffer the consequences with him. His pessimism makes his act more courageous as he expected the worst of all possible consequences, yet he was willing to go. An optimist needed less courage because he would have expected lesser danger. Thomas was willing to pay the ultimate price for the sake of his Lord because he totally believed in Him.

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2.) John 14:1 – 6 – The second time when the Gospel writers lenses was focused again in Thomas was during the Upper Room. Jesus urged his disciple not to be troubled as he has prepared a heavenly place for them and that he would come again to receive them to himself in order that they might be forever be with him. He then told them they know where he was going.

Puzzled, Thomas asked that they do not know where he is going and how do they know the way. (vs. 5) Obviously as with the other disciples he had almost no understanding of Jesus death, resurrection and ascension for which Jesus had been preparing them for the past 3 years. Again, in here his love and pessimism is revealed. His pessimism made him fear that he might be somehow separated from his Lord and his love for his Lord made that fear unbearable. Jesus assured Thomas that if he knows him, he knows the way and if Thomas is in him, he is in the way and that Thomas only concern should only be that he be with Jesus because he will take him wherever he goes. (vs. 6)

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3.) John 20:25 - 29 – The third time we see Thomas in focus again is where is most known for. All of Thomas worst fear had seemed to come true as Jesus had been crucified and buried. Their Master was gone and they were left alone leaderless and helpless. For Thomas this was worse than death, which he had been perfectly willing to accept. He felt forsaken and rejected. Jesus promises had been empty. Because he loved Jesus so much, the feeling of rejection was more deep and painful.

So when the other disciples told him they have seen the Lord, he probably felt like salt has been poured into his wounds. It was unbearably painful trying to adjust to Jesus death and he had no desire to be shattered by more false hope. That’s why he told them he doesn’t want to believe unless he sees the nail print in his hands and put his hands on Jesus side. Thomas reaction was normal since the other disciples when first told of Jesus resurrection didn’t believe it immediately also.

Eight days after Jesus resurrected, he appeared to them again. And when he saw them, he singled out Thomas who he knew loved him enough to die for him but was now shattered in his spirit. Without touching Jesus hands and side, in one of the greatest confession ever made that destroyed every lie that Jesus was not God, Thomas affirmed the deity and Lordship of Christ. Jesus was back ! Jesus however rebuked him gently.

AT THE END OF THOMAS LIFE

According to tradition Thomas is said to be perhaps the only Apostle who went outside the Roman Empire to preach the Gospel. He is also believed to have crossed the largest area, which includes the Parthian Empire (Covering mostly Iraq and Iran) and India where today “Mar Thomas”, a church said to be established by him, still bears his name. The Malankara Mar Thomas Syrian Church is a Christian denomination based in Southwestern India.

The Apostle that loved his Lord and his God so much is said to have died from a spear being thrust through him, a fitting death for the one who insisted on placing his hand on the spear wound of his Lord.

Up close and personal: MATHEW “THE WORST OF SINNERS”

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Name: Mathew also known by his Hebrew name “Levi.” Traditionally known as Mathew the Apostle and Mathew the Evangelist as he is one of the “Four evangelist” who wrote one of the Gospels.

Known family Relationships: Father – AlpheusFormer Occupation: Tax Collector or “Publican”Residence:Capernaum (possibly born in Galilee)

Note: Matthew collected taxes from the Hebrew people for Herod Antipas, the tetrarch of Galilee. His tax office was located in Capernaum. His name Levi indicates his Jewish heritage and from his Gospel we can see that he quotes more from the Old Testament than any other Gospel writers. He is said to have written his Gospel in Hebrew.

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Because he wrote the first Gospel, Mathew is perhaps the best among the Apostles, but the New Testament reveals very little about his life or ministry.

As previously discussed, tax gatherers were considered traitors and was the most hated in Jewish society. They are more despised than the Roman oppressors themselves as they betrayed their own people and were legal extortionist.

Jewish scholar Alfred Edersheim reports that a Jewish publicani was forbidden to have any religious or social contact with his fellow Jews. Often lumped with “sinners,” publicans were cut off from Jewish life. They were forbidden to worship in the Temple or even the synagogue. (Luke 18:13) They were considered as so despicable and vile that the Jewish Talmud said it is righteous to lie and deceive a tax collector. They were not allowed to testify in courts are they were labeled to be notorious liars and accepted bribes as a normal part of life. The publicani was ranked with the unclean animals, which a devout Jew would not so much as touch. He was in the class of swine, and because he was held to be a traitor and a liar, he was ranked with robbers and murderers. Edersheim states that there were two categories of publicani.

1.) The Gabbai - collected general taxes, which included those on land and other property, those on income, and those referred to as poll, or registration, taxes.

2.) The Mokhes - Collected a wide variety of use taxes—taxes similar to our import duties, tollway fees, boat docking fees, business license fees, and the like. The mokhes had almost unlimited latitude in their taxing powers and could attach a tax to virtually any article or activity. According to EdershiemTwo kinds of Mokhes:

a.) The great mokhes – These are those who hire other men to collect taxes for them. Because of their anonymity, their reputation is somehow protected

b.) The small mokhes – These are those who did their own assessing and collecting and therefore were in constant contact with members of the

community as well as with all travelers who passed their way.

The gabbai were despised, the great mokhes were more despised, and the small mokhes were despised most. Matthew was obviously a small mokhes, because he himself was sitting in the tax office as Jesus passed through the outskirts of Capernaum.

Because of his modesty, Matthew does not mention the fact, but Luke tells us that the moment Jesus called him, Matthew “left everything behind, and rose and began to follow Him” (Luke 5:28). That simple call by Jesus was more than enough reason for Matthew to turn his back on everything he was and possessed. Because of his position as an agent of Rome, he knew that once he forsook his post he would never be able to return to it. He knew the cost and willingly paid it.. From here we can conclude that Mathew was a man of faith. Of all the disciples, Matthew doubtlessly made the greatest sacrifice of material possessions; yet he himself makes no mention of it. Mathew also had a loving heart for the lost. As soon as he was saved, his first concern was to tell others of the great news. (Mathew 9:10)

Being a publican is not an occupation to be proud of and one would think he wanted to be disassociated with the stigma as much as possible. Yet 30 years later when he wrote his Gospel, he still referred to himself as “The tax gatherer.” Mathew sensed personal sinfulness as perhaps none of his fellow disciples did. (Luke 7:47) Mathew appears directly in no narrative. His silence and facelessness and appears anonymous even in his own Gospel and in the other three shows that such humility was born out his overwhelming sense of sinfulness. He saw God’s grace so superabundant that he felt unworthy to say a word.

AT THE END OF Mathew’s life

Matthew, preached the Gospel in Hebrew to the Jewish community in Judea. Later in his ministry, he would travel to Gentile nations (presumably following Jesus' Great Commission) and spread the Gospel to the Ethiopians, Macedonians, Persians, and Parthians.

There is a disagreement as to the place of Matthew's martyrdom and the kind of torture inflicted on him, therefore it is not known whether he was burned, stoned, or beheaded. It is popularly believed however that he was ordered killed by the King of Ethopia.