7  Common Men, Uncommon Calling—Part 6: Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Simon the Zealot Judas the son of James  (Luke 6:15—16a)

Matthew and Thomas; James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon who was called the Zealot; Judas the son of James (Luke 6:15–16a)

A seemingly paradoxical biblical truth, one that appears counterintuitive to human wisdom, is that God exalts the humble but humbles the proud. As the psalmist noted, “God is the Judge; He puts down one and exalts another” (Ps. 75:7). Moses was perhaps Israel’s most honored leader. Yet according to Numbers 12:3, “Moses was very humble, more than any man who was on the face of the earth.” “A man’s pride will bring him low,” Solomon warned, “but a humble spirit will obtain honor” (Prov. 29:23; cf. v. 25). Ezekiel 17:24 expressed that truth in picturesque language: “All the trees of the field will know that I am the Lord; I bring down the high tree, exalt the low tree, dry up the green tree and make the dry tree flourish. I am the Lord; I have spoken, and I will perform it” (cf.21:26).

The New Testament also reveals God’s sovereign humbling of the proud and exalting of the humble. In her Magnificat, Mary praised God because “He has brought down rulers from their thrones, and has exalted those who were humble” (Luke 1:52). So significant is this principle that the Lord Jesus Christ repeated it on three different occasions (Matt. 23:12; Luke 14:11; 18:14). James exhorted his readers, “Humble yourselves

in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you” (James 4:10).

Jesus’ choice of the Twelve was consistent with God’s use of humble people (cf. 1 Cor. 1:26–29). None of them were members of Israel’s religious establishment; they included no scribes, Pharisees, Sadducees, or priests. Nor were they taken from the social elite, the literate, the educated, or the theologically astute. None were from Jerusalem, the center of Jewish culture; except for the traitor Judas Iscariot, they were from Galilee, whose inhabitants were despised by the rest of the Jewish people. The Gospels portray the Twelve as plain, common, and ordinary men.

In spite of the fact that they were empowered to do miracles, the apostles were by no means the stars of the gospel accounts; they were at best the supporting cast. There are no records of the miracles they did (until the book of Acts) and very few instances of any significant act by any of them. While Peter made a profound statement acknowledging Jesus as the Messiah and Son of God (Matt. 16:16), he then brashly rebuked the Lord and was in turn sternly rebuked by Him (vv. 22–23). Peter’s one impressive act, walking on the water, was spoiled when his faith failed (Matt. 14:28–31). When the apostles do appear in the narrative, it is usually to express their lack of faith (Matt.8:26; 17:19–20), lack of understanding (Matt. 15:15–17; 16:5–12), or lack of humility (Mark 9:33–34; Luke 9:46–48).

But despite their shortcomings, the Twelve willingly gave up everything to follow Jesus Christ (Matt. 19:27; Luke 5:11), and made a permanent break with their past. That set them apart from many who temporarily followed Jesus, as an examination of John chapter 6 reveals. A large crowd was attracted to Jesus because He healed the sick (v. 2) and fed them (vv.5–14).The next day many of them crossed the Sea of Galilee in search of Jesus (vv. 22–25). Knowing their hearts (cf. v. 64), the Lord rebuked them for following Him with improper motives (vv. 26–27). He then taught them profound truths about Himself that many were not prepared to accept (vv 28–65), and “as a result of this many of His disciples withdrew and were not walking with Him anymore” (v. 66).Turning to the Twelve, Jesus asked them, “You do not want to go away also, do you?” (v. 67). Speaking for all of them, “Simon Peter answered Him, ‘Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life. We have believed and have come to know that You are the Holy One of God’“ (vv. 68–69). Unlike the fickle crowds, the Twelve (with the exception of Judas; vv. 70–71) were convinced that Jesus was the Messiah as well as the Son of God.

MATTHEW

Matthew (6:15a)

Luke’s introduction of Matthew marks the halfway point both in the second group of four apostles (Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, and Thomas) and in the list of the Twelve. Although he was the author of one of the four Gospels, little is revealed in the New Testament about him. Matthew himself in his own gospel (9:9–10) and Luke (5:27–29) briefly describes his call by the Lord, and the reception for sinners he gave afterwards. Those two incidents mark Matthew’s only appearances in the Gospels, apart from the lists of the apostles. Matthew’s silence about himself in his gospel in particular reveals him to have been humble, self-effacing, and content to remain in the background.

Like several of the other apostles, he had two names: Matthew (Matt. 9:9) and Levi (Luke 5:27). He was a tax collector by profession, which makes his selection as an apostle all the more remarkable. Tax collectors were despised outcasts in Jewish society They were traitors, who opportunistically collaborated with the Romans for their own financial gain. Tax collectors purchased tax franchises from the Romans, and anything they collected beyond what was required of them (cf. Luke 3:12–13) went into their own pockets. They practiced larceny, extortion, exploitation, and even loan sharking, loaning out money at exorbitant interest to those who were unable to pay their taxes. Tax collectors also employed thugs to physically intimidate people into paying whatever they demanded, and to beat up those who refused.

All of that infuriated the Jewish people, who believed that God was the only one to whom they should pay taxes. They scorned tax collectors, classified them as unclean, and banned them from the synagogues. Since the Jews considered tax collectors to be habitual liars, they were not permitted to give testimony in a Jewish court. Tax collectors came to symbolize the epitome of evil (cf. Matt. 18:17; 21:31; Luke 5:30; 7:34; 18:11).

There were two types of tax collectors, the gabbai, who collected the general taxes such as the land, poll, and income taxes, and the mokhes, who collected the more specific taxes, such as those on the transport of goods, letters, produce, using roads, crossing bridges, and almost anything else the greedy traitors could think of (cf. Alfred Edersheim, The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah [Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1974], 1:515–18).There were in turn two kinds of mokhes, the great mokhes, and the little mokhes. The great mokhes did not actually collect taxes, but hired others to do so for him. The little mokhes would be employed by a great mokhes to actually collect taxes. Because they were the ones who interacted with the people on a regular basis, they were the ones who bore the brunt of their anger and hatred. Matthew was one such little mokhes (Luke 5:27), one of the most despised and reviled men in Capernaum.

Yet when Jesus called him, Matthew unhesitatingly “left everything behind, and got up and began to follow Him” (Luke 5:28). Unlike some of the other apostles who had been fishermen (cf. John 21:1–3), Matthew could never go back to his profession. The great mokhes for whom he had worked would have immediately replaced him. Why was Matthew willing to walk away from his lucrative business and follow Jesus, not knowing what the future held? Despite being an outcast from Judaism, Matthew was nonetheless very familiar with the Old Testament. That is evident from his extensive quotations of the Old Testament, more than any other gospel writer. Matthew believed in the true God, and understood the Scriptures. Like most of his countrymen, he was expecting the Messiah to come. Apparently, through his interaction with those from whom he collected taxes, he had heard all about Jesus’ miraculous works and powerful preaching. His heart was ready when the Lord called him, and his faith was strong enough for him to drop everything and obey that call.

The genuineness of Matthew’s repentance and faith revealed itself in the banquet he gave in his home after Jesus called Him (Matt. 9:10; Luke 5:29; with characteristic humility, Matthew did not mention that the reception was in his own house.). He invited his fellow tax collectors and other associated sinners—the riffraff of Jewish society.

After this reception, Matthew fades from the gospel record. Neither is anything known for certain about his life and ministry after Pentecost. Most accounts agree that he preached the gospel to the Jewish people before ministering to the Gentiles, possibly in the vicinity of the Caspian Sea, or in Persia, Macedonia, or Syria. Nor do the traditions agree on the place or manner of his death. According to some accounts, he was burned at the stake, while others state that he was beheaded or stoned to death. But in any case this man, who freely abandoned a lucrative, if criminal, career to follow the Lord Jesus Christ, never looked back. Matthew willingly gave his all for Him to the very end.

THOMAS

Thomas (6:156)

His skeptical reply to the other apostles’ claim to have seen the risen Lord Jesus Christ, “Unless I see in His hands the imprint of the nails, and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe” (John 20:25), has earned Thomas the nickname, “Doubting Thomas.” In fact, that phrase has come to label a skeptical, habitually doubting person. While it is fair to say that Thomas tended tobe a negative person, he was too good a man for such a one-dimensional appraisal of his character.

According to John 11:16, 20:24, and 21:2, Thomas was also called Didymus, which means, “twin.” Whether he actually had a twin brother or sister, however, is not recorded in Scripture. His name is given in the Synoptic Gospels only in the lists of the apostles. But as he did with Philip and Bartholomew (Nathanael), the apostle John fleshes out some aspects of his character.

The first incident in which Thomas appears is recorded in John chapter 11. After His unambiguous claim to deity and equality with the Father (10:30), the enraged Jewish leaders sought to kill Jesus (vv.31, 39). Because His time had not yet come (cf. John 7:30; 8:20), Jesus “went away again beyond the Jordan to the place where John was first baptizing, and He was staying there” (John 10:40), along with the Twelve.

While they were there, Jesus received the news that His close friend Lazarus, the brother of Mary and Martha, was seriously ill. He may even have died by the time the messenger they sent reached Jesus and the disciples. When He received the message, Jesus said, “This sickness is not to end in death, but for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified by it” (11:4). He did not mean that Lazarus was not going to die, but that death would not be the final outcome of his illness. The apostles, who assumed that Lazarus was therefore going to recover, were no doubt relieved to hear Jesus’ words. That the Lord remained where He was for two more days (11:6) must have further reassured them that Lazarus would recover.

But then the Lord dropped a bombshell on them: “Then after this He said to the disciples, ‘Let us go to Judea again’“ (v. 7). Shocked and appalled, the disciples protested incredulously” Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone You, and are You going there again?” (v. 8). Why leave a fruitful ministry (10:41–42), they reasoned, and travel to Bethany in the vicinity of Jerusalem (the town was only two miles from Jerusalem [John 11:18]) where they risked being arrested and executed? Jesus replied (vv.9–10) that He and they were perfectly safe during the divinely-appointed duration of His earthly ministry (see the exposition of those verses in John 1–11, The MacArthur New Testament Commentary [Chicago: Moody 2006], 455–56).

The Lord then explained why they had to return to Bethany: “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I go, so that I may awaken him out of sleep” (v. 11). Still not grasping the situation, “the disciples then said to Him, ‘Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover’“ (v. 12). Since Lazarus was apparently on the road to recovery, there seemed to be no logical reason to risk everything by returning to Judea. Finally, Jesus told them plainly” Lazarus is dead, and I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, so that you may believe; but let us go to him” (vv. 14–15). At last, the disciples realized what had really happened and understood that it was futile to try to talk Jesus out of returning to Judea. But they were still very hesitant and fearful about going.

At this point Thomas took the lead. Rallying his fellow disciples, he said to them, “Let us also go, so that we may die with Him” (v. 16). His courageous statement was made all the more so by his pessimism—he fully expected that both they and Jesus would be killed. Yet his love and devotion were so strong that he preferred to die rather than to face life without the Lord.

That aspect of his nature is reinforced in Thomas’s next appearance in John’s gospel. In the upper room on the night before His death, Jesus told the apostles that He was going away to the Father’s house to prepare a place for them, and would return to take them there (John 14:1–3). Because He had already told the disciples that He was returning to the Father (e.g., John 7:33; 13:1, 3), Jesus expected them to know where He was going (v. 4). Dismayed at the thought of the Lord’s leaving, Thomas exclaimed, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, how do we know the way?” (v. 5). His statement reflects both his intense love for Christ, and his extreme pessimism.

By now the disciples realized that Jesus was going to die, but they had no firsthand knowledge of what happens after death. Further, Jesus had just told them that they could not at that time go where He was going (John 13:33, 36).Thomas’s plaintive question reflected their confusion and despair. If they did not know where the Lord was going, how could they follow Him there? The thought of losing Jesus was unbearable to Thomas, and he was engulfed in heartbroken despair.

By the time Thomas appears again in John’s narrative, his worst fear had been realized: Jesus had died, and he had not. When the Lord appeared to the disciples for the first time after He rose from the dead, Thomas was not there (John 20:24). Where he was is not stated, but perhaps, devastated by the death of the Lord whom he supremely loved, he preferred to be alone with his sorrow and despair. In any case, when he returned, the other ten apostles greeted him excitedly with the news that Jesus had risen from the dead and appeared to them.

It was then that Thomas uttered the statement for which he is famous, “Unless I see in His hands the imprint of the nails, and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe” (v. 25). Thomas was not about to get his hopes up, only to have them dashed again. Although Thomas’s skepticism earned him the nickname “Doubting Thomas,” the other apostles had fared no better. They, too, had scoffed at the initial reports of Christ’s resurrection (Luke 24:10–11), and only believed after He appeared to them (John 20:20).

Eight days later, Jesus once again appeared to the apostles. This time Thomas’s grief had eased enough for him to be present with his companions. The Lord immediately confronted his lack of faith. “Reach here with your finger,” He commanded Thomas, “and see My hands; and reach here your hand and put it into My side; and do not be unbelieving, but believing” (John 20:27).Thomas’s simple, yet profound reply “My Lord and my God!” (v. 28) is perhaps the greatest statement ever made by any of the apostles, equaled only by Peter’s confession, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matt. 16:16). His melancholy pessimism vanished in the glorious light of the risen Savior, and Thomas was transformed into a powerful evangelist. There is a strong tradition from the early centuries of the church that Thomas carried the gospel to India, where he was martyred. Some accounts say that he was thrust through with a spear—a fitting form of martyrdom for the one whose doubts were forever banished when he saw the mark of the spear in the Savior’s side.

JAMES THE SON OF ALPHAEUS

James the son of Alphaeus (6:15c)

Despite his supreme privilege as one of the twelve men chosen by the Lord Jesus Christ to be his personal representatives, virtually nothing is known about James. All that the New Testament reveals about him is that his father’s name was Alphaeus, his mother’s name was Mary (Matt.27:56; Mark 15:40), and that he had a brother named Joseph (Matt. 27:56) or Joses (Mark 15:40). Since Matthew’s father was also named Alphaeus (Mark 2:14), it is possible that the two were brothers.

In Mark 15:40, James is referred to by his nickname “James the Less.” Mikros (“Less”) means, “little.” The nickname may mean that James was small in stature. It may also mean that he was young in age. Most likely, however, it refers to his relative lack of importance and influence in comparison to the more famous James, the brother of John and member of the inner circle of the Twelve.

Where James ministered after Pentecost is not known. He may have preached the gospel in Persia, or Egypt, or both. According to some traditions, he was martyred by crucifixion in Egypt. This humble servant’s only distinguishing mark is his obscurity He sought no recognition, displayed no great leadership skills, asked no critical questions, and demonstrated no unusual insights. Only his name remains, and the honor due him as an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ. There is a far greater record of his life and ministry in heaven.

SIMON THE ZEALOT

Simon who was called the Zealot (6:15d)

Matthew (10:4) and Mark (3:18) refer to Simon using the Aramaic word cananaean. That term is not a geographical reference either to the land of Canaan, or the village of Cana, but comes from a root word meaning “zealous,” or “passionate” (hence the NASB translates it Zealot in those verses). Luke used the corresponding Greek word Zelotes, which also means Zealot. Both terms mark Simon as a member of the radical Jewish faction known as the Zealots.

The Zealots were one of the four primary parties in first-century Israel, along with the Pharisees, Sadducees, and Essenes. They were passionately devoted to the law of God, and violently opposed any intrusion upon it by pagans, such as the Romans. They were political radicals, the terrorists and assassins of their day, perfectly willing to murder the Romans and their Jewish collaborators. By doing so, they believed they were doing God’s work. The first-century Jewish historian Josephus wrote concerning the Zealots’ fanaticism,

While precursors to the Zealots can be found in the Maccabean era of the intertestamental period, the movement itself began shortly after the death of Herod the Great. The Zealots, under Judas (cf. Acts 5:37), rose in rebellion against the census conducted by Quirinius (the second one in A.D. 6, not the first one a decade earlier that brought Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem). The Zealots also played a major role in the Jewish revolt against Rome (A.D. 66–73). After the fall of Jerusalem in A.D. 70, a band of Zealots fled to the fortress of Masada. There they held out until A.D. 73, then committed mass suicide rather than surrender to the Romans.

As a Zealot, Simon was a man devoted to the law of God, fiercely patriotic, passionate, and courageous. He hated the Romans and desperately wanted them out of Israel. He was the antithesis of Matthew, whose collaboration with the Romans had made him rich. Had they not both been followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, Simon would have had nothing to do with Matthew, and might even have murdered him. Like Judas Iscariot, Simon was looking for a messiah who would drive out the Romans. But unlike Judas, who betrayed Jesus when he saw that was not Jesus’ plan, Simon embraced Him as Savior, Lord, and God incarnate.

Like many of the apostles, Simon’s later ministry is shrouded in mystery and legend. According to some traditions, he preached the gospel in Persia and Armenia, others place his ministry in the Middle East and Africa, while some even have him ministering in Britain. Nor is there any agreement on the manner or place of his death, which some claim was by crucifixion, others by being sawn in two. Simon the Zealot, who had willingly faced death because of his passionate commitment to God’s law, suffered it in the end because of his love for Jesus, the fulfillment of the law (Matt.5:17; Luke 24:44).

JUDAS THE SON OF JAMES

Judas the son of James (6:16a)

While several of the apostles had two names, this Judas may have had three. Luke gave his formal name, Judas the son of James, while Matthew called him Thaddeus (Matt. 10:3) and, according to some less reliable Greek manuscripts, also gave him the name Lebbaeus. Both Thaddeus and Lebbaeus are nicknames; Thaddeus literally means, “breast child,” while Lebbaeus means “heart child.” Both could be rendered by the contemporary term “momma’s boy.” Those nicknames may indicate that Judas was the youngest child in his family

Like the other apostles in this final group, little is known about Judas. Apart from the lists of the apostles, he made only one appearance in the New Testament. The scene was the upper room on the night of the Lord’s betrayal, during His farewell discourse to the apostles. In John 14:21 Jesus told them that He would reveal Himself to those whose obedience proved the genuineness of their love for Him.

The disciples were puzzled by that statement. They expected Jesus to establish His earthly kingdom, a belief they still clung to even after His death and resurrection (Acts 1:6). After all Jesus was the Savior of the world (John 4:42), the rightful heir of all things (Heb. 1:2), and the King of kings and Lord of lords (Rev. 19:16).The good news of forgiveness and salvation through His death and resurrection was to be proclaimed to the ends of the earth (Matt.28:19–20).

Judas asked the question that was undoubtedly on the minds of the rest of the apostles, “Lord, what then has happened that You are going to disclose Yourself to us and not to the world? (John 14:22). The Lord’s answer emphasized that His kingdom was not an external, political one (though He will one day reign over His earthly, millennial kingdom), but a spiritual one in the hearts of those who love and obey Him: “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him” (v.23).

Judas spent the rest of his life extending the kingdom by preaching the truth of the gospel. According to tradition, he may have preached in such places as Samaria, Syria, Mesopotamia, and Libya. By some accounts Judas, the gentle, compassionate “momma’s boy,” suffered martyrdom with the fiery, passionate, former Zealot Simon.