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.
Matthew 9:9. Jesus saw a man sitting at the customhouse. The custom-house has usually been a place noted for plundering and for unjust exactions, and was at that time particularly infamous. In the choice of Matthew out of that place, not only to be admitted into the family of Christ, but even to be called to the office of Apostle, we have a striking instance of the grace of God.
Matthew's name means the gift of God, and ministers are God's gifts to the church. Satan tempts the idle; Christ calls the employed. Matthew sat at the tax booth in a calling of ill fame, yet Christ summoned him there, magnifying His grace by choosing one so corrupted by his trade.
AI summary
Commenting on Matthew 9:9-13
And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in the house,.... That is, as the Arabic version reads it, in the house of Matthew, not in the toll house, but in his own house; for he immediately quitted the toll booth, and his office there, and followed Christ, and had him to his own house, where he made a great feast for him...