To all the Matthews in the world...

In the Bible, Matthew is mentioned in the gospel he wrote of the same name and Mark's gospel. He describes himself as a tax-collector that left his vocation to follow Jesus (Matthew 9:9). What's interesting to note is that the same account in Mark's gospel initially names Matthew as Levi (Mark 2:14), but later refers to him as Matthew in the list of the twelve apostles (Mark 3:18).

There's something deep here.

We know from elsewhere in scripture that a change in name can accompany a conversion or a change in character, for instance when Abram (meaning exalted father) is renamed Abraham (meaning father or many nations) in Genesis 17:5. Therefore we can say that upon Levi's conversion, Jesus renamed him Matthew.

Now Matthew means Previously Matthew was a tax collector, the most despicable of vocations since he would collaborate with the Roman oppressors and line his own pockets in the process. Once he was a taker but now he is a giver since Matthew means Gift of God.

And that is what I want to be.