The Calling of St Matthew
Caravaggio, 1600
My dear friends,
Today's Gospel reading presents Christ as the compassionate physician of souls, the friend of sinners, and the conqueror of suffering and death. From the perspective of the Bodhisattva path, we behold the activity of boundless compassion expressing itself in human form. Jesus continually turns toward those who are burdened, excluded, fearful, and grieving. His conduct teaches us to cultivate the awakening mind of love and wisdom, which seeks the welfare of all beings without partiality.
he saw a man called Matthew
sitting at the tax-collection station,
and he said to him, "Follow me."
And he got up and followed him.
- Matthew 9:9
Jesus sees beyond Matthew's occupation and reputation. Where many saw a tax collector, Christ saw a disciple waiting to be awakened to a higher calling. The Bodhisattva likewise trains to perceive the hidden potential within every being. No person is defined forever by his past actions. When wholesome causes and conditions come together, a life can change in a moment. Matthew's willingness to rise and follow shows the power of faith and receptivity when the call of truth is heard.
many tax collectors and sinners came and were sitting with Jesus and his disciples.
When the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples,
"Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?"
But when he heard this, he said,
"Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick."
- Matthew 9:10-12
The physician goes where healing is needed. Jesus does not distance himself from those whose lives are troubled by ignorance and unwholesome conduct. He enters their company with compassion and purpose. In the same spirit, the Bodhisattva seeks out beings who are confused, fearful, lonely, or trapped in destructive habits. The goal is never condemnation. The goal is liberation. The awakened heart recognizes that every being suffers from the sickness of self-clinging and therefore deserves compassion rather than contempt.
For I have not come to call the righteous but sinners."
- Matthew 9:13
Mercy occupies a central place in both the teachings of Christ and the Bodhisattva path. Religious practices possess great value when they nourish humility, kindness, and wisdom. Their deepest purpose is fulfilled when they help us love others more fully. Christ points his listeners toward the living heart of the spiritual life. Compassion for suffering beings is more pleasing to God than displays of religious superiority. The cultivation of bodhicitta, the aspiration to awaken for the benefit of all, embodies this same spirit of mercy.
"My daughter has just died, but come and lay your hand on her, and she will live."
And Jesus got up and followed him, with his disciples.
- Matthew 9:18-19
The ruler approaches Jesus in humility and trust. His worldly status offers no protection from grief, for suffering touches every level of human society. Christ immediately rises to help. This readiness illustrates an important quality of the Bodhisattva. Compassion is not merely a feeling. It expresses itself through action. When the opportunity to benefit another appears, the practitioner learns to respond promptly and wholeheartedly.
came up behind him and touched the fringe of his cloak,
for she was saying to herself, "If I only touch his cloak, I will be made well."
Jesus turned, and seeing her he said, "Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well."
And the woman was made well from that moment.
- Matthew 9:20-22
Twelve years of suffering had not extinguished this woman's hope. Her faith carries her through fear, shame, and discouragement. Christ responds with tenderness, calling her "Daughter" and restoring her dignity as well as her health. From the Bodhisattva perspective, faith is a powerful opening of the heart that allows healing influences to be received. Faith and wisdom support one another. Faith gives courage to approach the path, while wisdom gradually reveals the true nature of reality.
he said, "Go away, for the girl is not dead but sleeping." And they laughed at him.
But when the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took her by the hand, and the girl got up.
- Matthew 9:23-25
The crowd sees only finality and loss. Christ sees a possibility hidden from ordinary perception. Their laughter reflects the limitations of conventional understanding. In Buddhist teaching, appearances often conceal deeper truths. What seems permanent is impermanent. What seems separate is interdependent. What seems hopeless may contain the seed of liberation. Jesus takes the girl by the hand and raises her up, demonstrating compassionate power that reaches beyond fear and despair.
- Matthew 9:26
Acts of genuine compassion naturally spread outward. News of this event traveled throughout the region because people are drawn to signs of hope. The Bodhisattva path teaches that wholesome actions possess ripple effects extending far beyond what we can see. One act of mercy can inspire another. One life transformed can influence many others. For this reason, practitioners are encouraged to persevere in virtuous conduct, trusting that its benefits will continue to unfold through countless connections.
My dear friends, these passages reveal a Christ who seeks the lost, heals the afflicted, comforts the suffering, and restores life where hope appears exhausted. His example embodies the qualities that Bodhisattvas cultivate: fearless compassion, impartial love, and unwavering dedication to the welfare of others. May we learn to see every person as Jesus saw Matthew, to offer mercy as freely as Jesus offered mercy, and to bring courage and hope into a world burdened by suffering. In this way, the awakening mind grows within us, and we become instruments of blessing for all beings.