The Record-Keeper

by Audrey Frank @AudreyCFrank

A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ the son of David, the son of Abraham… Matthew 1:1

Matthew was a record-keeper. A former tax collector, he was a professional recorder of numbers and facts. He was a detail-keeper and fact-protector. It was this career record-keeper, sitting at his tax booth, that Jesus walked right up to and said the life-changing words, “Follow me” (see Matthew 9:9). Matthew immediately got up and followed Jesus. His old profession was instantly infused with new purpose. Matthew the record-keeper would be a key eyewitness to much of Jesus’ earthly ministry. And he would faithfully record everything he saw.

The name Matthew means “Gift of Yahweh.” Matthew, the author of the gospel that carries his name, is a gift from God to writers. He has much to teach us.

Profession Repurposed

Many writers did not begin as writers. They began as nurses, secretaries, and engineers. Soccer coaches and chefs. Accountants and photographers. An encounter with Jesus changed their lives and repurposed their professions. Now, they follow the Savior and wield the words He gives.

Some potential writers are sitting in their tax booths wondering if all their record-keeping makes any difference in the hurting world around them. To those I would say, be watchful. Jesus is drawing near. Look up! He repurposes our work and gives our lives new meaning. After meeting Jesus Matthew stopped collecting taxes, but he never stopped record-keeping. His skills were employed by the King of kings so you and I would know the Gospel today. Matthew’s temporal work was transformed into lasting work that will be remembered for eternity. This is the purpose we all long for in our life’s work. Lasting, world-changing work imbued with value.

Jesus never wastes our professions; He repurposes them. The work Jesus calls us to do as writers is work that will remain long after we lay down our pens.

Eyewitness Recorder

Matthew became an eye-witness of Jesus’ life and ministry the moment Jesus drew near to him. He also would become one of the original twelve Apostles. As an eyewitness, Matthew recorded all he observed. Facts were important to him, and the preservation of those facts was paramount in his value system. There is even evidence that he wrote one copy of the gospel of Matthew in Hebrew and one in Greek to ensure its veracity and accessibility to as many people as possible. 

Matthew the record-keeper also carefully compiled a genealogy of Jesus. In my own life, I have seen Matthew’s genealogy form the bedrock of proof for many Muslims examining Christ’s claims to be God. Knowing one’s pedigree is of utmost importance in honor-shame societies such as Muslim-majority cultures. Matthew’s record has been the convincing factor in many of my Muslim friends’ journeys to faith in Jesus as the Messiah. 

Matthew included ten parables and three miracles not mentioned in the other gospels of Mark, Luke, and John. Additionally, he alone records the sealing of Jesus’ tomb and the posting of the Roman guards outside it. 

As a record-keeper, Matthew was vigilant and faithful to write down for us all he saw. Because of his faithfulness to use the gifts he was given, our faith today is stronger.

At our time in history, the world is at a standstill because of a virus we cannot even see. The Coronavirus has immobilized societies around the globe. As writers, we can record what we see Jesus doing amid this crisis. We can use the gifts we have been given to make a record of God’s faithfulness, his steadfastness, the work of the Lord that may seem a small occurrence in the moment but may bring faith to millions in the eras to come. 

Like Matthew, we have the privilege of being eyewitness recorders of Jesus’ ministry in our world today. The world needs our testimony, our faithful obedience to write what we see. With our pens and keyboards, we become emissaries of hope and faith.

King Proclaimer

Matthew proclaimed Jesus as the long-awaited King and His followers as citizens of a heavenly realm. He records Jesus’ public parables of the kingdom of heaven and His private explanation of them to his disciples. This emphasis in the gospel of Matthew reminds us that even when the world is in an uproar, those who follow Christ have citizenship in a higher, heavenly realm. We can set our hearts on heaven despite our earthly circumstances.

This is a sorely needed message in any era. 

Matthew teaches us that as writers, we can offer hope to a world in upheaval by reminding them there is another country, a heavenly one, and it is accessible to all who will place their trust in the Messiah Jesus. He is the long-awaited King of kings and Lord of lords. His reign and rule are justice and peace.

Writers can be King-proclaimers, pointing readers to the reality of citizenship in heaven.

What will you record today? Take up your pen and continue to write. Matthew had no social media, no world-wide-web. He followed Jesus, he recorded what he saw, and he gave readers hope that has lasted through all the ages. We can all do that. 

Lord, I will follow You. I will record what I see. I will share Your wondrous works with the world. Amen.

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Audrey Frank is an author, speaker, and storyteller. The stories she shares are brave and true. They give voice to those whose words are silenced by shame, the hard things in life that don’t make sense, and the losses that leave us wondering if we will survive. Audrey and her family have spent over twenty years living and working among different cultures and world views, and she has found that God’s story of redemption spans every geography and culture. He is the God of Instead, giving honor instead of shame, gladness instead of mourning, hope instead of despair. Although she has three different degrees in communication and intercultural studies, Audrey’s greatest credential is that she is known and loved by the One who made her.

Audrey is the author of Covered Glory: The Face of Honor and Shame in the Muslim World (Harvest House Publishers), an outpouring of Audrey’s heart to introduce others to the God of Instead. Shame is not unique to the developing world, the plight of the women behind veils, young girls trafficked across borders; shame is lurking in hearts everywhere. Through powerful stories from women around the world, Covered Glory illuminates the power of the Gospel to remove shame, giving honor instead. Available at favorite booksellers: Barnes & Noble , Books A Million, Amazon.

You can also find Audrey at www.audreyfrank.com, as well as on Twitter and Facebook