Matthew's Departure

Et post haec exiit, et vidit publicanum nomine Levi, sedentem ad telonium, et ait illi: Sequere me. Idem Levi qui Matthaeus est, sed Lucas Marcusque propter verecundiam et honorem evangelistae, noluerunt nomen ponere vulgatum. Ipse autem Matthaeus iuxta illud quod scriptum est: Iustus accusator sui est, in primordio sermonis Matthaeum se et publicanum nominat, ut ostendat legentibus nullum debere conversum de salute diffidere, cum ipse de publicano in Apostolum, de teloniario in Evangelistam sit repente mutatus. Et relictis omnibus, surgens secutus est eum. Intelligens Matthaeus quid sit veraciter Dominum sequi, relictis omnibus, sequitur. Sequi enim, imitari est. Ideoque ut pauperem Christum, non tam gressu quam affectu confortari potuisset, reliquit propria, qui rapere solebat aliena, perfectaque nobis abrenuntiationis saeculi formam tribuens, non solum lucra reliquit vectigalium, sed et periculum contempsit, quod evenire poterat a principibus saeculi, quia vectigalium rationes imperfectas atque incompositas reliquerit. Tanta enim cupiditate sequendi Dominum ductus est, ut in nullo prorsus huius vitae respectum vel cogitationem sibimet reservaverit, propter quod iusta mercede, dum humana sedulus negotia deserit, dominicorum fidelis dispensator meruit esse talentorum. Sanctus Beda, In Lucae Evangelium Expositio, Liber II, Caput V Source: Migne PL 92.389a-c

After after these things He went out and He saw a tax collector by the name of Levi sitting at his booth, and He said to him: 'Follow me.' 1 This Levi is Matthew, but Luke and Mark on account of respect and honour of the Evangelist, are unwilling to use the common name. Yet Matthew himself, according to what is written, 'The righteous man is his own accuser,' 2 at the first mention of himself names himself Matthew and a tax collector, showing to readers there should be no hesitation in turning to salvation, when he suddenly changed from a tax collector to an Apostle, and from a toll gatherer to an Evangelist. And leaving everything, he rose and followed Him. Matthew, understanding what it truly means to follow the Lord, leaves everything and follows. For to follow is to imitate. Therefore as Christ was poor, not so much with feet but with affection propelled, he left his own things, he who was accustomed to seize things from others, giving to us a form of the world's renunciation, not only leaving the profit to be had from taxes, but even scorning the peril which it was possible would come from the rulers of the age because he left his accounts of taxes unfinished and disorganised. For he was led by such a great desire for the Lord that not looking at all to anything of this life, nor giving thought for himself, because of the righteous reward, he deserted the eager administration of human affairs and merited to become a faithful dispensor of the Lord's talents. Saint Bede, Commentary On The Gospel of Saint Luke, Book 2, Chapter 5 1 Lk 5.27 2 Prov 18.17