Today we look at the second part of Matthew's life, Matthew the Apostle. We go to read from Matthew chapter 9, verses 9 to 13. We read, “And as Jesus passed forth from thence, he saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom, and he saith unto him, Follow me. And he arose and followed him. And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples. And when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto his disciples, Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners? But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick. But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy and not sacrifice, for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” (Matthew 9:9–13). The Lord will bless his word. What a wonderful day it was when the great physician came to the home of that sin-sick soul, Matthew, having called him from his receipt of custom, having saved him, and having cleansed him and made him whole.

Now Matthew's desire was that others should also come to know him. Well, millions have come to know the Lord through Matthew because the Holy Spirit used him to write the Gospel of Matthew. Though so little is written about Matthew, just that incident of when he was saved and the feast he made for the Lord and for all his publican friends and others to hear the Lord Jesus, very little is written of him. However, though little is written of him personally, yet his personality is seen in the gospel, he wrote. The Holy Spirit used his financial talents. to speak about all the incidences in the life of the Lord Jesus that related to money and treasures and coins and riches. And this is what we're going to see in our second part. In fact, more than Mark, Luke, and John, Matthew, the former tax collector, writes more about money than any of them. He writes about money, talents, wages, coins, and treasure many, many times. in his gospel. He mentioned riches more than the other gospel writers.

You see, he knew the value of earthly riches. He was counting those riches every day. He counted coins and coins and coins and examined the treasures and merchant men and their pearls and all that they had that they were travelling, and he was there to impose taxes and customs on them. His whole life revolved around money. He doesn't write about money because he still has a heart for it. No, like Moses, that day he had made his choice. Of Moses we read in Hebrews 11, 26. “Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward.” (Hebrews 11:26). Like Moses, Matthew left it all behind—all his riches, all the treasures. The Romans could give him; he left it all behind. And why he speaks so much about money is because he shows where true riches are found. Spiritual riches—they're found in the Lord Jesus Christ. Like Peter and John, he would be able to say, Silver and gold have I none. Acts chapter 3 verse 6. All the apostles could say that. Silver and gold have I none; they had forsaken all to follow the Lord Jesus.

So when we begin with Matthew's Gospel, he's the only one who mentions the wise men visiting the Lord Jesus after he was born. And we read, “And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him; and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.” (Matthew 2:11). These were gifts worthy of a king. They didn't come and then look around to see what money they could put together. They had come prepared. They had come prepared to sacrificially and abundantly and lavishly give to the king, who is worthy of their worship and praise. They recognized him as God manifest in the flesh. They recognized him as the king of Israel and the king of kings.

So Matthew is the only one who mentions the treasures of the wise men. Also, Matthew speaks about treasures in heaven in Matthew 6:19–20. “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal” (Matthew 6:19-20). He says, Lay not up for yourselves. He's obviously reporting the word to the Lord Jesus. Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal. But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal.

Jesus said in John chapter 14, “In my Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” (John 14:2-3). See the chambers of the temple that we read of in 1 Kings chapter 6 that Solomon built—those abiding places around the temple in three stories in which the priests stayed while they were doing their shift. They had a shift system to come and work in the temple, and the treasures were also laid up in that temple. We know that many a time, like when Shishak king of Egypt came and took away all the riches there, all the shields of gold, he took them all away. in the days of Rehoboam. And so the Lord Jesus spoke of the temple in Jerusalem as my father's house in John chapter 2 verse 16. He told them not to make his father's house a place of merchandise. And so the temple was a picture of heaven.

And in heaven there are not chambers but abiding places. Treasures are kept there. What treasures are kept in heaven? The Lord Jesus said. Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, not treasures on earth. How do we get treasures in heaven? How do we lay them out? It's by sacrificing the treasures we have here on earth for the service of the Lord. It doesn't mean we give up everything and become destitute and poor. What it means is that we sacrificially give of our wealth and whatever we have in the work of the Lord, in the service of the Lord, in helping others, sacrificing fathers. and the more we sacrifice of our treasures here on earth, the less of them we have, the more we have treasures in heaven. So Matthew says, as he reports the words of the Lord Jesus, Jesus said, Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth. He says, Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven. Then Matthew also speaks of treasures hidden in a field. A treasure hid in the field in Matthew 13:44, “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.” (Matthew 13:44).

Then he spoke about the pearl of great price. “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.” (Matthew 13:45-46). In the parables of the kingdom, these two beautiful pictures, parables, speak of the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the man who found the treasure hidden afield. He is the great merchant man who came looking for goodly pearls. Matthew had met many merchantmen. He had met many, many businessmen in his life. as they travelled the road north of Capernaum, as he sat at the receipt of custom, as he examined their goods and their treasures and their wheat and grain and fish and whatever it was they were selling in different markets and travelling with their goods, balm and spices and myrrh and so on. And he speaks of the greatest merchantman of all, the greatest businessman of all, the Lord Jesus Christ. Here is a man who finds a treasure. In the Bible, Treasure is a picture of the children of Israel, the people of Israel. And so the Lord Jesus Christ sold all that he had, left heaven's glory to die on the cross of shame, to redeem them, to redeem his earthly people Israel.

The pearl of great price speaks of the church. And the Lord Jesus is described as a merchantman who found one pearl of great price. and it says he went and sold all that he had to buy it. What a beautiful picture of Calvary. The Lord Jesus left heaven's glory, all the riches. He left it all, though he was rich, the Bible says, yet for our sakes he became poor. He left it all; he became completely destitute here on earth, not having any money of his own. And he gave himself completely on the cross, that he might purchase the church. Matthew mentions Myrrh, and he mentions frankincense, gold, silver, talents, treasures, and the man looking for pearls. He would have met all this; he would have seen all of this in his life. Now he speaks of the greatest treasure of all, the greatest merchantman of all, the greatest businessman of all, the Lord Jesus Christ. He surrendered, gave up everything, humbled himself, and took upon him the form of a servant. Being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself unto death, even the death of the cross, Philippians 2 tells us. Matthew also in those parables of Matthew 13 verse 52 again talks about treasure. “Then said he unto them, Therefore every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is a householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old.” (Matthew 13:52). to be instructed in the Word of God, to be able to expound from the Old and the New Testament.

Its real treasure, indeed far greater riches than the wealth of this world, is the teaching of God's Word. Then there's a unique incident. It's the only one, and it's only recorded in Matthew's Gospel, where Jesus needed money. And it's the only miracle that Jesus did to supply and provide for himself. Apart from his resurrection when he raised himself from the dead, all the miracles the Lord Jesus did were for others. This is the one miracle he did for himself. And that is Matthew 17 verses 24 to 27. “And when they were coming to Capernaum, they that received tribute money came to Peter and said, Doth not your master pay tribute? He saith, Yes. And when he came into the house, Jesus prevented him, saying, What thinkest thou, Simon? Of whom do the kings of the earth take custom or tribute? of their own children, or of strangers? Peter saith unto him, Of strangers. Jesus saith unto him, Then are the children free. Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them, go thou to the sea, and cast an hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up; and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money: that take, and give unto them for me and thee.” (Matthew 17:24–27).

This is the story of the Lord telling Peter to go fishing. and catch a fish and find a coin out of his mouth to pay the temple tax. And it says this miracle is mentioned in Matthew's gospel because Matthew's theme is the Lord Jesus as King. So all the incidences where the Lord Jesus is spoken of as a King or speaking about kings are included in Matthew's Gospel. The tribute money had to be paid by all the Jews to remind them of their redemption from Egypt in Exodus 30 verse 14. And it was used for the upkeep of the temple. All buildings decay over time. Weather and wind and so on, they need to be maintained. So the temple needed that money, just as we have a collection on the Lord's Day, to also pay for the building, maintenance, and so on, as well as for spiritual work and for gifts for those doing the Lord's work. Because the temple belonged to the Lord, it was His Father's house; Jesus did not need to pay; he was the son. It's like being charged by your own parents to live in your own house. Who would you pay rent to? You can't pay rent to yourself. The Lord Jesus owned that temple.

It was his. He did not need to pay his father. No parent charges rent to their own children to live with them. But Peter had forgotten the glory of the Lord Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration. Just moments before, he was on that Mount of Transfiguration, and he saw Him in all His glorious God and as He will come in His Kingdom. He wasn't thinking when he said, Yes, he pays. If he remembered the glories of the Lord Jesus—that He's the King, He's the Son of the Father, and that temple is His Father's house—he wouldn't need to pay. What it shows is the deity of the Lord Jesus. in the most remarkable way. Peter was talking to those tax collectors, and when he came back to the house, the Lord Jesus spoke to him before he could say anything. It demonstrated the omnipresence of the Lord Jesus. Though he was man, he was also God in one person. He never ceased to be God. He never gave up the attributes of God. He was omnipresent; he was everywhere, filling heaven and earth while at the same time in that human body. And so the Lord was present, listening to Peter's conversation with those men.

The Lord Jesus showed his omniscience when he told Peter to make provision for them, to obtain a coin to pay for both of them. The Lord Jesus knew that in that Sea of Galilee with all the multitudes of fish, millions of fish in the Sea of Galilee, there was one fish that had a coin in its mouth. The Lord Jesus knew which fish it was. Also, the Lord Jesus knew that one fish had a coin in its mouth. Also, the Lord knew the value of that coin. It was a stater, a Roman stater, which was enough to pay the temple tax for two people. and for Peter. How beautifully this miracle shows the omniscience of the Lord Jesus. More than that, it shows his omnipotence and almighty power. He is indeed the Lord of Creation. All the beasts of the earth, the fowls of the air, and the fish of the sea are all subject to him. He had control over all nature when Peter was sent to catch the catcher fish. of all the multitudes of fish, the Lord kept all of them away and drew only that one fish to Peter so that Peter's hook would catch it; it would catch onto Peter's hook.

The Lord is omnipotent, singling out one fish in the whole of that sea and drawing it towards Peter's hook. He's indeed God overall, blessed forever, omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent. the only miracle the Lord did for himself. He mentions himself first; to pay for me and you, he says. It shows he had no money. He was so destitute. He didn't say, I've got some money; go and pay the tax for us. He had not a single coin on him. He had to do this miracle to provide for himself and for Peter. How beautiful to think of our Lord in all his humility coming down to earth as the poor carpenter from Nazareth. Then we think about the servant who owed 10,000 talents, as mentioned in Matthew 18. There's a parable of a man who owed 10,000 talents, and we're told he had nothing to pay, could not pay. The Lord commanded him to be sold, and he beseeched him and begged him, and the Lord showed mercy and freely forgave him his 10,000 talents. Of course he went and throttled somebody who owed him far less. picture of those who are forgiven so much and yet they take it out on someone who owes them so much less. And so that parable is in Matthew's gospel.

The Jewish young rulers are also mentioned, not just in Matthew but in Mark as well, in Matthew 19, 21 where he is told to sell all that thou hast, sell everything that you have because in his case he loved his money, he trusted in his. That's why for him the Lord said he must sell everything. He must get rid of all his riches. I told him to give them to the poor. I told him he'd have treasure in heaven. But sadly, that man turned his back on the Lord and walked away. Matthew is the only one who mentions workers and their wages. He speaks of the parable of the kingdom, Matthew 20 verses 1 and 2. “For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is a householder, which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard. And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard.” (Matthew 20:1-2). And so he speaks of labourers, workers, and a denarius a day, which was the coin mentioned there; the penny is a denarius; it was a day's wages. So Matthew, riches, myrrh, frankincense, gold, treasures, pearls, and now wages as well.

Matthew is the only one who mentions the exact amount Judas betrayed Jesus for. The Gospel writers all mention him as the betrayer, all of them, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. But Matthew is the only one who tells us exactly how much money he got for his evil deed. Matthew alone gives us the details of this man's betrayal and how he threw the money down in the temple. He records his suicide. By hanging himself, he records how the money was used by the cheap priest to buy the potter's field to bury strangers in. Matthew 26.15: “And said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver.” (Matthew 26:15). Matthew mentions, The money that Judas got—that's the value he placed on the Son of God. that was good enough for him, thirty pieces of silver, to betray the Lord Jesus unto death. Matthew alone mentions what happened in Matthew 27:6, “And the chief priests took the silver pieces and said, It is not lawful for to put them into the treasury, because it is the price of blood.” (Matthew 27:6). Think of those words: the price of blood. The blood of Jesus to them was thirty pieces of silver. That's all it was worth to them.

But to the believer, it is more than silver or gold. The blood of the Lord Jesus Christ is precious blood, the precious blood of Christ, the land of God. It is of infinite value. Matthew alone mentions that the soldiers were bribed with money to tell lies, that the disciples stole Jesus' body, and that he hadn't risen; they stole his body. They were bribed in Matthew 28:12. “And when they were assembled with the elders and had taken counsel, they gave large money unto the soldiers” (Matthew 28:12). Though they had seen the angel come and roll the stone away, though they became like dead men, terrified, yet so hard-hearted these wicked men were, just for money they were prepared to lie and say the Lord Jesus did not rise. What a foolish statement they made. While we were sleeping, the disciples came and took the body. If you were sleeping, how do you know who took the body? If you were sleeping, how do you know the body was even taken and did not rise? What a foolish thing to say that they were sleeping, and yet they know exactly what happened. And that was also their own condemnation. Because soldiers who are caught sleeping were put to death, as we see what happened when Peter was arrested by King Herod and the angel delivered him in Acts chapter 12.

The four soldiers who were guarding him day and night were two outside and two inside the cell, and there were sixteen soldiers altogether in a shift, but those four soldiers in the shift in the night were all put to death by Herod because they let their prisoner go. These men were there to guard the tomb, and they said we were sleeping, and the disciples stole the body. That in itself was a complete contradiction and a lie. The Lord Jesus rose from the dead, and no amount of bribes and money can explain that away. The Lord Jesus is alive, and Matthew details all these things about money in his gospel, so beautifully setting forth the glories of our Lord and Savior. Jesus Christ. May God bless his word to us. Amen.