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| St. Matthew's window. |
Jesus said the Thomas, Follow me! Matthew was a tax collecter at the time, a symbol of the Roman government, and roundly hated by the Jews (tax collectors in general; I have no firsthand knowledge of how they felt about Matthew, specifically). When the Jews asked Jesus, "Why do you eat with tax collectors and sinners?" Jesus answered, Those who are well have no need of a doctor; sick people do. Matthew is generally identified as Levi the Publican in his own gospel.
The name Matthew seems to come from the Hebrew Mattay or Mattiyahu, meaning "Gift of the Lord." Matthew was, of course, one of the four evangelists, and is generally accepted as the author of the book of Matthew in the new testament.
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