9:9 Matthew. Matthew is the author of this gospel, yet, says little about himself. As a publican (tax collector), he would ordinarily be disliked by other Jews (note Matthew 9:11), yet Jesus chose him as a disciple. The immediate response by Matthew to Jesus’ call, with no explanation, must have been preceded by an unrecorded history of his own personal repentance and faith. He would very likely have been a follower of John the Baptist before John told his own disciples to follow Jesus (note John 1:35-37; 3:30; Acts 1:21-22).