Jesus Calls Matthew for Kids: A Simple Story of Faith and Calling

Have you ever wondered how Jesus chose ordinary people for extraordinary missions? The story of Jesus calling Matthew offers a powerful message of faith, purpose, and second chances—perfect for kids to understand the beauty of divine calling.

How Jesus Called Matthew: A Simple Story

In the Gospels, Jesus encountered Matthew, a tax collector, while sitting at his tax booth. Instead of ignoring him, Jesus said, ‘Follow me,’ and Matthew left everything behind to become a disciple. This moment teaches children that God’s calling isn’t about status or past—it’s about heart, faith, and being open to change.

Why This Story Matters for Kids Today

The call of Matthew reminds kids that everyone has a unique role in God’s plan—no matter their background. This relatable parable encourages children to trust in God’s guidance, embrace new beginnings, and find courage in following their own faith journey, no matter how small it may seem.

Teaching Jesus’ Call Through Engaging Kids’ Content

Using fun illustrations, interactive questions, and kid-friendly language, stories about Jesus calling Matthew make spiritual lessons memorable. By presenting these moments simply and joyfully, children learn foundational values like obedience, humility, and trust—core elements of living out faith with purpose.

The call of Jesus to Matthew is more than an ancient tale—it’s a timeless message of hope and opportunity. Share this story with kids to inspire them to embrace their own journey of faith, knowing God is always ready to call and use them in beautiful ways.

Use this children's Sunday School lesson on the calling of Matthew to show kids that Jesus is always ready to give us second chances and that He can change any of us for the better. Jesus calls Matthew to follow Him. Free printable Bible lesson for preschool children.

Inlcudes games, worksheets, story, craft, coloring pages and more. This story is based on Matthew 9:9-13, Mark 2:13-17, and Luke 5:27. Our Bible lesson is in the book of Matthew (9:9-13) and Luke (5:27-32), the first book of the New Testament.

The first four books are Matthew, Mark, Luke and John and they tell us about Jesus and His life on earth. They are called the Gospels. Jesus picked 12 men to follow Him.

They were called Disciples. Simon Peter had his problems, but I don't think anyone in Jesus' day would have found it strange for such a man to be one of Jesus' disciples. In this story, Jesus calls a man named Levi, or Matthew, who was very objectionable indeed.

And this call was considered so important that three of the four gospels tell about it. Use the The Calling of Matthew Word Search as a fun activity for your next children's sermon. The Pharisees saw Jesus eating with tax collectors, those people who stole money, and all kinds of other bad people, and they asked why Jesus was eating with them.

They didn't think Matthew and his friends were good enough to hang out with Jesus because they did wrong things. They didn't think Matthew could change and be better. Explore how to teach kids about Jesus calling Matthew and the values of acceptance, forgiveness, and diversity through engaging lessons and activities.

Use this children's Sunday School lesson on the calling of Matthew to show kids that Jesus is always ready to give us second chances and that He can change any of us for the better. Needed: Bibles, pennies or playing cards, some type of game cards or soft balls or paper wads, construction paper, scissors. Luke 5.27-32 Jesus called Matthew to follow him and he responded by leaving his job as a tax collector and becoming Jesus' disciple! Later Matthew hosted a feast at his house and he invited other tax collectors and sinners to eat with Jesus.

It was his way of celebrating that Jesus was happy to be friends with them, even though none of them were perfect. Key Verse "Rejoice in the Lord.