Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1923-07-26
IMPROVED UNIFORM INTERNATIONAL
Sil1ndayScflool
' Lesson '
Dy REV. p. B. FTTzwATER. D. D..
Teacher of English Bible In the Moody
Bible Instituts Of Chicago.)
Copyright. 1921. Western Newspaper Unisn.
LESSON FOR JULY 20
MATTHEW, THE PUBLICAN

MA TEWy HE PUBLICAN
LESSON TEXT Matthew ss-1s,
Luke 5:27-32
GOLDEN TExT-'T came not to cali
the righteous but sinners to repent
ance- Matthew $3.50.
REFERENCE MATERIAI~-Mark 2:
13-22
PRIMARY ToPIc-Matthew Invites
Jesus to His Home.
JUNIOR TOPIC-What Jesus Did for
Matthew
INTERMEDIATE AND SENIOR TOP
lC-Matthew Overcomes a Handicap.
YOUNG PEOPLE AND ADULT TOPIC
Matthew. a Study of Conversion.
|. Who Matthew Was.
OF Matthew little is known, even
his birth place Is concealed Our first
sight of him is seated at the toll booth
collecting taxes. The tax gatherer
was hated by the loyal Jews because
he collected taxes for the alien gov
eminent under whose yoke they were
calling. This hate was the more Bit
ter because of the extortion usually
practiced by those in rule. From the
meager accounts we find that Matthew
was:
l. A Man of Decision. We do not
know whether he had ever seen or
heard Of Jesus before this time, but
we note that he at once arose and
followed Jesus. Without doubt, there
were many things to concern him. 1t
was no little task to break off from
his business which apparently was
very lucrative.
2. He Was a Humble Man. In
chapter 10, verse 8, the order in which
he gives his own name and the fact
that he designates himself pub
lican' would show that he did not
Overestimate himself.
8. He Possessed Force Of Character.
This is shown in the fact that. he gave
feast and invited his friends In to
see and hear his Lord.
He had two names, Levi, which
means attached" or "joined," and
Matthew, which means 'gift of Je-
hovah." Most likely Matthew was
the name assumed after his CONVEX
sion.
II. Matthew's Call or Conversion
(Math. 9:9).
1. As Jesus Passed BY, He saw a
Man" He saw the possibilities which
were in Matthew. He saw through
the hated profession of tax gatherer
the shining possibilities of his man
hood and apostleship. He saw In him
the man fit to perceive and portray
the Messiahship of the Redeemer. The
divine grace was revealed In this call
Jesus sees what Is in man regardless
Of name or profession.
2. Matthew's Response ". %. He
acted with decision and promptness !;
he left his business behind him. When
Jesus said, Follow Me-. Matthew
perceived that greater than man had
spoken to him. May we yield our
selves unto Him and render such SIM
pie obedience that our actions may be
but the echoes of the divine voice In
commanding. Two things In Mat
thew's compliance prove the genuine
ness of his conversion:
1. He Left ALP (Luke 5 :2S). Real
conversion always results in the for
saking Of all that is contrary to Jesus.
such as illegitimate business, wicked
associates and worldly pleasures, etc.
2. Followed Jesus" Following
Jesus means the commitment of ones
life to Him for full salvation, aban-
donment of the will to Him to do
whatsoever He wills, and a willing
ness to suffer. and even die, If need be,
for Him.
Ill. Matthew Made a Great Feast
duke 5:29-32). This feast was made
In honor of his newly-found Savior.
His conversion was so real that he
wanted his friends to become ac-
quainted with his Savior. He was
not ashamed to confess his Lord be-
fore them. He showed real tact In
making supper. Men will come to
feast much more readily than they
will to a sermon. A great company
of sinners came, who doubtless had
been Matthew's companions in sin.
He now desired them to become his
brothers in Christ. The Scrfbes and
Pharisees were astonished that Jesus
would appear in company with such
motley crowd of disreputable per-
sons. They were too cowardly to
speak to Jesus but they came to the
disciples. Jesus championed their
cause and battled His adversaries.
His reasoning was unanswerable. A
physicians place Is among the sick.
Only those who are diseased should
come to the Doctors house. Since
spiritual matters are of more impor-
lance than physical, Jesus was more
than justified in being in the center
of those who were morally sick that
He might heal them of their maladies.
He came to call sinners to repentance.