In our last devotion, we considered the way in which Jesus called Peter, Andrew, James and John to follow Him. Those men were commercial fishermen. He called those men in a way that touched them and surprisingly, they left everything, including their jobs, to follow Him. As you think about the way Jesus called you, you may have realized that Jesus calls us in different ways. That was true then and is just as true today. Today, let’s consider the way He called a tax collector named Levi:
Jesus went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting in his office. Jesus said to him, “Follow me.” Levi got up, left everything, and followed him. Then Levi had a big feast in his house for Jesus, and among the guests was a large number of tax collectors and other people. (Luke 5:27-29 Good News Translation)
This passage tells us about the way Jesus called Matthew, otherwise known as Levi. Because he was a tax collector, Levi probably wasn’t a very popular guy. Tax collectors often taxed people more than they owed so that they could skim a little for themselves. While he wasn’t generally popular, it’s clear from this passage that he did have some friends and that he liked to have a good time. When Jesus called Levi, the Bible tells us "he left everything to follow Him." Levi left his job and his money but he also invited Jesus to be guest of honor at a party at his home. Levi might have been unpopular to many of the people around town but I like the guy! And what an opportunity for this new follower to tell people he had left everything behind to follow Jesus. Even better, he invited his friends to meet Jesus, too. When Jesus calls us, He meets us right where we are, and touches who we are.
Think back to when you first realized you wanted to follow Jesus. How did life change for you? Did you tell your friends about Him? Jesus still wants you to follow Him and He still wants to meet your friends...and that's such very Good News!
“When the bottom falls out and disappointments come, you will learn what you believe, what you love, and what you treasure.”