(Read Matt. 9:1-131And he entered into a ship, and passed over, and came into his own city. 2And, behold, they brought to him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed: and Jesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of the palsy; Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee. 3And, behold, certain of the scribes said within themselves, This man blasphemeth. 4And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts? 5For whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and walk? 6But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith he to the sick of the palsy,) Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house. 7And he arose, and departed to his house. 8But when the multitudes saw it, they marvelled, and glorified God, which had given such power unto men. 9And as Jesus passed forth from thence, he saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he saith unto him, Follow me. And he arose, and followed him. 10And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples. 11And when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto his disciples, Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners? 12But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick. 13But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. (Matthew 9:1‑13))
MANY of you, dear children, have, if not a Bible, a New Testament of your very own. Have you ever noticed that almost the first word in it is that word which we so often hear—the word “gospel”? If you have not seen this before, open your Testament now, and look for yourselves. Yes; God has given us in His New Testament. —
1St The Gospel according to St. Matthew.
2nd The Gospel according to St. Mark.
3rd The Gospel according to St. Luke
4th The Gospel according to St. John.
The word “gospel” is an old word; it means a good story. God’s good story which He has told us in His New Testament is about His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. We can understand now why it must be a good story. If it was a story about men and women and children it could not be a good story, because none of us have anything good which could be told about us.
How many men were there whom God chose to write the good story about His Son?
There were four, and each one has told the story in a different way, but each has told it just as God wished him to tell it.
The first writing in the New Testament is the gospel according to Matthew. The name of the man who wrote it was not always Matthew. How do we know this?
If you find the 14th verse of the 2nd chapter of St. Mark’s gospel you will see the name which was given him by his father when he was born, for the “Levi” who is mentioned there, and also by St. Luke in the 5th chapter of his gospel, verse 27, is the same as the “man named Matthew” of whom we read in the 9th chapter, verse 9, of his own gospel.
If you have looked at these three places in your Testaments, you will see that the same person is mentioned in each place, and the same things, or nearly the same, are told of him, only the apostles Mark and Luke call him “Levi,” and when he tells the story himself he says “Matthew.”
Perhaps you may know a boy called Theodore, or a girl called Theodora. Both these names mean the same as Matthew― “the gift of God.”
Can you think of another apostle who had two names?
Simon Peter had first only his own name of Simon, but the Lord called him Peter. We are not told who gave Levi his new name, but we know that the Lord Himself spoke to him, and called him.
In that chapter of John, which so many of you know―that chapter which speaks of the Good Shepherd―it says, “He calleth His own sheep by name.” Matthew was one of Christ’s sheep whom He called.
He tells us himself how it happened. That we may know, we must find again the 9th chapter of his own gospel. The chapter begins by telling us that “He” (that is the Lord Jesus) “entered into a ship, and passed over, and came into His own city.” This means that Christ sailed across the beautiful blue waters of the Sea of Galilee, and came to a town which stood upon its shore, called Capernaum.
There is no town now on the spot where Capernaum used to be. No one can even be quite sure of the place, for all the beautiful houses and towers, and even the streets, have been taken away. When the Lord Jesus was there the place was full of people, rich and poor—fishermen, and buyers and sellers―just as any town by the seaside is now.
If you read the first nine verses of this chapter you will see what a wonderful Person He was who came to Capernaum that day.
What a sad sight we see first of all! A poor sick man, so helpless that, if he came to the Lord Jesus at all, he had to be carried out into the street on a bed. Then what wonderful words we hear. It is Jesus who speaks, and says to that poor sick man, “Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee.”
And, as we read on, we find that the One who spoke those words knew the evil thoughts of some who were there, although they did not speak a word. You could not tell what I am thinking about, nor could I tell the thoughts of the heart of any one of you children; only God can do that, and the Lord Jesus could do it, because He is God. None but God could say to that sick man, “Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house.” The Lord Jesus could say it, because He is God.
Now let us read on: “And as Jesus passed forth from thence, He saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and He saith unto him, Follow Me. And he arose, and followed Him.”
What was Matthew doing when the Lord called him? There is a name by which he calls himself once, which shows us what he was doing that day. He calls himself “Matthew, the publican.” When Jesus called him he was making people pay their taxes.
What was it that Levi heard that day?
Only two words― “Follow Me.”
But who spoke those words?
The Son of God. Levi heard that voice, and just as the helpless man had arisen from his bed when Jesus said “Arise,” so, when the publican heard those two short words, “Follow Me,” spoken to him by the Lord, “he arose and followed Him.”