The Christian religion is a great field for study. According to the Bible, Jesus Christ had twelve disciples, followers, and apostles. Each of them, before meeting the Savior, lived his own life, performed duties, and played a certain role in society. The life stories of the apostles are extremely interesting. In this article we will talk about the life of the Apostle Matthew. The Akathist to the Apostle Matthew is read in all churches on Memorial Day - November 16.
Matthew before meeting the Savior
During the Roman Empire, people often had two names. So, the Apostle Matthew had another name - Levi. Matthew Levi was the son of Alphaeus and the brother of James, another of the twelve apostles of Jesus Christ. Matthew lived in his own house in the city of Capernaum, which was located on the shores of the Sea of Galilee. The Jews, like other inhabitants of the territories conquered by the Roman Empire, were obliged to pay taxes to the treasury of the empire. Tax collectors collected taxes. It is not surprising that people did not like those who held such a position, because very often tax collectors oppressed the people, abusing their official duties, and showed cruelty and unmercifulness. One of the tax collectors was Matthew Levi. Thanks to his position, he made a decent fortune. But Matthew, although he was a publican, still did not lose his human appearance.
How Matthew became a disciple of the Savior and an apostle
Matthew more than once heard the sermons of Christ, who settled in the same Capernaum, and saw the miracles he performed. The calling of the Apostle Matthew as a disciple occurred because the Lord saw how Matthew related to him, his teaching, and saw his readiness to believe and follow him. Jesus, accompanied by people, one day left the city and went to the sea. Just to the place where Matthew was collecting taxes from passing ships. Approaching the future apostle, the Lord told him to follow him. The Apostle Matthew, who strived for Christ with his heart and soul, did not hesitate to follow the Teacher. Matthew Levi, not believing himself that Jesus, a sinner, had chosen him, prepared a treat in his house. Everyone was invited to the celebration. Among the people present at the apostle’s house were tax collectors, as well as all his friends and relatives. Jesus sat down at the same table with publicans and sinners in order to give them a chance to repent and be saved with his word. The Apostle Matthew himself confirmed by his example the divine destiny of the Teacher, who said that he came to save sinners, but not the righteous. The future apostle left all his property and followed the Lord. Soon Matthew was added to the number of the twelve apostles.
Film adaptations
The novel “The Master and Margarita” has been filmed several times. The first film, directed by Andrzej Wajda in 1972, was called “Pilate and Others.” The action turned out to be transferred to the 20th century and the characters looked modern. Daniel Olbrychski played the role of Levi Matvey in the film.
Daniel Olbrychski as Matthew Levi
In Alexander Petrovich’s film of the same year, there were no biblical motifs; only the events that occurred in Moscow in the thirties of the twentieth century were described. The character Levi Matvey was absent from the film.
The next film based on the plot of the novel was a Polish project by Maciej Wojtyszko. The biblical character was also absent from this film version of the literary work.
Lev Durov as Levi Matvey
In the 1994 film “The Master and Margarita”, directed by Yuri Kara, Levi Matvey was played by actor Lev Durov. The film turned out to be rich in acting. Woland was portrayed on screen by Valentin Gaft, Homeless by Sergei Garmash, and Pontius Pilate by Mikhail Ulyanov.
Semyon Strugachev as Levi Matvey
In 2005, a large-scale film adaptation of The Master and Margarita was released. The author of the project was Vladimir Bortko. Oleg Basilashvili appeared as Woland, Semyon Strugachev played Matvey Levi, and Alexander Galibin played the master.
Apostle and Evangelist Matthew
Matthew was a faithful disciple. Together with the rest of the apostles, he saw all the miracles performed by Jesus, listened to all his sermons, and accompanied him everywhere. Matthew himself went to people, trying to convey to them the teachings of Christ, and thereby giving them the opportunity to be saved.
The apostles, including Matthew, his brother James Alpheus, as well as the Apostle Andrew, with a shudder of heart saw the arrest of the Teacher, His torment, death, and then the ascension. After the Lord ascended into heaven, the apostle, together with the rest of his disciples, preached the teachings of Christ - the Gospel - to the people of Galilee and Jerusalem. When the time came for the apostles to disperse throughout the world and convey the teachings of Christ to all nations, the Jews, the rest of the disciples and the Apostle Andrew, the very first of the called disciples of Jesus, expressed to Matthew their desire in writing to carry the teaching further. Matthew Levi, following the general desire, wrote his Gospel - the Gospel of Matthew.
This was the very first Gospel of the New Testament. This book was aimed primarily at conveying the teaching to the inhabitants of Palestine, and was written in Hebrew.
New Testament
Biblical tales provide minimal information about Matthew Levi. The only relevant information is that the man was a tax collector. This is confirmed by the Gospels from Matthew himself, from Luke and from Mark. The Gospel he himself wrote tells about his meeting with Jesus. Many tax collectors and sinners considered Jesus their friend and Teacher.
Image of Levi Matthew
New Testament scholars compare Matthew Levi with Levi Alfeev, who was also listed as a tax collector. In the Gospel of Mark there is a short story about him, and Luke in his creation describes the hero’s calling. Based on the words of other apostles, some scholars suggest that Levi Alfeev is the real name of the prophet, and Matvey is a nickname that stands for “God’s gift.” This version has always been disputed by opponents of the idea, such as the 4th century AD writer. Didymus the Blind. The New Testament mentions Matthew and Matthias, so many regard this as a transcription of the name. The biographies of the men coincided, so this fact can be perceived as a literary error.
The Christian tradition constantly confuses Matthew and Matthias, therefore, in different editions of the same text, the name of the hero is used on the inspiration of the author. A striking example is the work “The Acts of Andrew and Matthias.”
Conversion of people to faith by the Apostle Matthew
After the apostle left Jerusalem, he visited Syria, Persia, Parthia, Media, Ethiopia or India preaching the Gospel. Here he tried to convert a wild people of cannibals (anthropophagi) with animal customs and morals. (The Akathist to the Apostle Matthew is read on the day of his death in Ethiopia, November 16.) In a city called Mirmenah, at the very beginning of his stay in Ethiopia, the holy Apostle Matthew converted several people to the Christian faith, appointed a bishop and built a small temple. He prayed all the time for the whole tribe to convert. And then one day Matthew was on a high mountain in fasting and prayer. God appeared to him in the form of a young man and handed the apostle a rod, telling Matthew to stick the rod more firmly at the temple. A tree with juicy and tasty fruits should have grown from the staff, and a source of clear water should have appeared from the base of the tree. Everyone who tasted the fruit was supposed to become meek and kind, and after drinking from the source, gain faith. The Apostle Matthew began to descend from the mountain with a rod, but the demon-possessed wife and son of the owner of the city, Fulvian, began to hinder the apostle, shouting that the apostle wanted to destroy them. Matthew cast out demons in the name of Christ. Both Fulvian's wife and son followed the apostle, becoming humble.
Miracle performed by the Apostle Matthew
In the city, near the temple, the apostle firmly stuck the rod, and a miracle happened before everyone’s eyes.
As the Lord told Matthew, a huge tree grew, unprecedented fruits appeared on the tree, and a stream began to flow from the foot of the tree. People gathered from all over the city to see this miracle, taste the fruits and drink water from the stream. The apostle stood on the dais and began to preach a sermon. Everyone who was nearby believed and was baptized in water from the spring. Fulvian's wife and son were also baptized. Fulvian, who at first reacted with respect and surprise to the acts of the apostle, became very angry when he realized that the new faith was ridding the people of idols. And the owner of the city decided to kill the Apostle Matthew.
Attempts to capture the Apostle Matthew
At night, Jesus himself appeared to the apostle and encouraged him, saying that he would not leave him in the torment that Matthew would have to go through. When Fulvian sent his soldiers to the temple to bring Matthew, they were surrounded by darkness, so much so that they could barely find their way back. Fulvian became even more angry and sent many more soldiers after the apostle. But even those soldiers could not grab Matthew, since the heavenly light that illuminated the apostle was so bright that the soldiers threw down their weapons and fled in horror. Then Fulvian himself and his escort came to the temple. But he suddenly became blind and began to ask Matthew to have mercy and forgive his sins. The apostle baptized the evil ruler. He gained the ability to see, but decided that this was only Matthew’s sorcery, and not the power of the Lord. Fulvian decided to burn the apostle.
Quotes
In the book of Levi, Matthew appears as Christ's assistant. He comes to Woland’s Abode with the words:
“I come to you, spirit of evil and lord of shadows.”
This becomes additional confirmation that Satan appears before the audience.
Levi Matvey – illustration for the book “The Master and Margarita”
The messenger asks to grant peace to the master and Margarita. Standing up for the heroes, he declares that they will find peace only in hell. There is no place in heaven for the author of the novel about Pontius Pilate. To Woland’s question about why the master cannot go into society, Levi replies:
“He didn’t deserve light, he deserved peace.”
Paradise in this perception does not imply peace for the person who has sinned, but his merit in the form of a written novel should be rewarded. And that reward will be peace.
The end of the life of Saint Matthew
Matthew was grabbed and nailed to the ground by his hands and feet with large nails. By order of the cruel Fulvian, branches, brushwood, sulfur, and resin were placed on top, believing that the apostle would burn.
Instead, the flame died out, and the holy Apostle Matthew, alive and unharmed, glorified the name of the Lord. Those present were horrified and also praised God. All except Fulvian. By his order, they brought even more branches and brushwood, placed it on top of the apostle, and poured resin on it. Fulvian placed twelve golden idols around the supposed fire, which he worshiped. He wanted to burn Matthew with their help. But Matthew, under the blazing flames, fervently prayed that the Lord would show his power and ridicule those who still trusted in idols. The flame turned towards the idols and melted them, scorching those standing nearby. Then the fiery serpent, bursting out of the flames, headed towards Fulvian, who wanted to run away in fear. Seeing the futility of trying to avoid the serpent, Fulvian prayed to Matthew, asking him to save him from death. The apostle extinguished the flame. The ruler wanted to receive Saint Matthew with honor, but the apostle offered a prayer to the Lord for the last time and died.
How Fulvian became Matthew
Fulvian ordered the unharmed body of the apostle to be dressed in expensive clothes and brought into the palace, but doubts about faith forced him to order to forge an iron ark for the remains and, having sealed it, lower it into the sea. The ruler decided that if God, who saved the apostle from the fire, did not allow the body to drown, then he would believe and renounce idols. At night, the bishop saw Matthew, who gave instructions on where to find his relics brought ashore by the sea. Fulvian also went to see this miracle, and, finally convinced of the power of the Lord, was baptized with the name Matthew. Thus, the calling of the Apostle Matthew by the Lord to become a disciple converted an entire people to the faith.
The exploits of the apostles are invaluable for the development of Christianity. Thus, with his life, the Apostle Matthew set an example for those around him. An icon with his image will remind every Christian of perseverance and feat in the name of the Lord. The life of the Apostle Matthew is an instructive story for everyone.
Prayer
Oh, glorious Apostle Matthew, who gave up his soul for Christ and fertilized His pasture with your blood! Hear your children's prayers and sighs, now offered by a contrite heart. Because we are darkened by lawlessness, and for this reason we are surrounded by troubles, like clouds, but despite the good life we are so poor, and we are not able to resist the predatory wolf who will plunder us from here on out. The things of God strive boldly. Oh, strong one! Bear our infirmities, do not leave us in spirit, so that we may not be separated from the love of God in the end, but protect us with your strong intercession, may the Lord have mercy on us all for your prayers, may the handwriting of our immeasurable sins be destroyed, and may the blessed be blessed with all the Saints To the kingdom and marriage of His Lamb, to Him be honor and glory, and thanksgiving and worship, forever and ever. Amen.
