The Unqualified

Feast of St. Matthew | 21 September 2009
Matthew 9:9-13

Let me begin my reflection this morning by sharing with you, a different kind of litany of the saints. This is something I share with the Second Year HS student at the Ateneo for their recollection. It was a video entitled, the March of the Unqualified and today since I cannot share with you the video, allow me at least to share the content of it. It goes…

Moses was not a great speaker
Jonah ran from God
Jacob was a liar
Noah got drunk
Rahab was a prostitute
David had an affair
Jeremiah was depressed, a lot
Solomon was rich in wisdom, but poor in lifestyle
John the Baptist was just plain poor
Timothy was too young,
Timothy was too old,
Lazarus, was dead
Sarah was barren
Naomie was a widow
Gideon and Thomas both doubted, so did Sarah
Peter lacks self-control
James and John were self-righteous
Paul had a short fuse, well so did Peter and Moses…actually lots old people did.
God’s army isn’t perfect, it never has been. It’s the march of the unqualified.

Dear brothers, the saint whose feast we celebrate today definitely fits in the litany of saints I shared with you earlier – Matthew, the tax collector. We know how the tax collectors in Jesus’ time suffer the stigma of being despised and tagged as sinners in their community. Therefore, it is not surprising to know that the Pharisees and their disciples questioned why Jesus mingles with stinking sinners!

I like best Caravaggio’s portrayal of this scene from the gospel with his painting, “The Calling of Matthew. In his painting Matthew was seated at a table with his four assistants, counting the day’s proceeds. The group was lighted from a source at the upper right of the painting, seeming to be coming from Christ. Jesus with a gesture in his hands, summons Levi. Surprised by the intrusion and perhaps dazzled by the sudden light from the just-opened door, Levi draws back and gestures toward himself with his left hand as if to say, “Who, me?”, his right hand remaining on the coin he had been counting before Christ’s entrance.

Like Matthew, don’t we ask and wonder why we have been called here in this house when we clearly know who we are? Like Matthew don’t we know that we are ‘unworthy’, have lots of limitations, inadequacies, exaggerations and sinfulness? And yet when we encountered Christ in our lives, when we experience his light in our lives, deep in our very hearts, we feel we are all invited to come and follow him. Yes, even with our pimples, scars, and all.

Matthew’s experience should console us that God indeed calls us, no matter how unworthy and unqualified we may be. Like Jesus affirmed, I did not come to call the righteous but sinners. Matthew knew He is a stinking sinner! Yet, I imagine Jesus, giving him a wink and telling him, “You sure do stink, but yes, believe it or not, I am calling you and I wanted you to be part of my team!” It is something to rejoice about! It is something that should console us all. According to Luke’s version of this account, Levi having received this loving invitation from the Lord he rejoiced! He even gave a banquet!

Dear friends it is a beautiful image of God worth reflecting on, especially for all of us. That God calls us and comes to us even in our unworthiness and sinfulness. God, in the course of history called the ‘unqualified’ and the ‘imperfect’ to be part of his army. God can work wonders, even in our human weaknesses and limitations if we just let Him take charge of our lives. God meets us where we are. God’s love us just the way we are.