After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector by the name of Levi sitting at his tax booth. "Follow me," Jesus said to him, and Levi got up, left everything and followed him.
After capturing the hearts of the crowd, Jesus now calls another disciple, Levi - also known as Matthew. Two things are significant about this calling.
- Jesus called someone no other religious leader would have chosen, a tax collector and Roman sympathizer - to any Jew of Jesus' era, Matthew would have seemed very much like a traitor to his heritage and to his faith.
- Levi, this tax collector, followed Jesus, leaving behind his livelihood and his fortune.
Jesus' call of Matthew and Matthew's definitive and immediate response to follow Jesus provide us a powerful reminder that we should write off no one as unreachable with the Gospel or unusable by our
Lord.
Father of all people, help us recognize the people you place in our paths today who are ready to know more about Jesus. Please give us the wisdom and the awareness to know when and how to speak with them about our Savior. We also ask, dear Father, for you to forgive us for the times we have come to a snap judgment about the unworthiness of some people who seem least likely to become disciples. We know that Jesus came to seek and save all who are lost, so please use the Holy Spirit to fashion our hearts to reflect the heart of our Lord and Savior, in whose name we pray. Amen.
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