We all have a favorite band, team, preacher, etc. We tend to follow their progress; listen to their music or teachings. We follow them, perhaps closely, perhaps from a distance. We invest our time, energy, and even our money in following them. Following others is a natural aspect of life.
We are all following someone or something.
So Jesus bursts on to the Galilean preaching circuit and begins speaking about a new way of living; a new way of being; a new life worth loving! His teaching pulls in the crowds and it all looks good. One could easily get lost in the crowd.
It’s easy to get lost or hide in the crowd.
So Jesus has a crowd-busting strategy: he calls individuals. The ones who are hiding in the crowd; the ones who are hiding their shame; the ones who are despised by everyone else.
Perhaps today he’s calling you and me.
So he calls this bloke Levi.
Tax-collecting, Roman-loving Levi.
Swindling, cheating double-dealing Levi.
He calls him out and he tells him FOLLOW ME.
And Levi gets up and follows just like that. Not only does he get up. He gives up…EVERYTHING! And he follows Jesus.
In the Gospels we see Levi a number of times. He not only followed Jesus practically through the streets, becoming one of his closest mates. We see him living his life for Jesus. He hangs on every word of Jesus, and putting those words into action. He follows Jesus with his life even after Jesus has died. He writes one of the Gospels. He follows Jesus with EVERYTHING.
Perhaps today he’s calling you and me to follow and give up everything.
May we hear his call and follow him with everything today
Stuart Writing 