Wednesday, January 12
As he was walking along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he got up and followed Him.
—Mark 2:14
I don’t know which is more wonderful: the fact that Jesus said to Levi, “Follow me,” or the fact that Levi got up and followed Him.
Jesus, Son of God, turns to this one individual—nobody famous or influential—and invites him to follow. That is wonderful. It is full of wonder because Jesus is the One, the Messiah, sent by God Himself. But unlike the rulers of this world—presidents and governors and wealthy power-brokers—Jesus cares about the “little man.”
In fact Jesus puts the “lost and the least” in the number one position in his mind and heart. “He who is last shall be first; He who is first shall be last.” “The rich he sends away empty-handed.”
Jesus comes to love all the creatures of God, foremost being the people of God—especially the humble, the meek, those without hidden agendas and guile. The more vulnerable, trusting and innocent we are in this life, the more we can be sure of Jesus calling to us, “Follow me.”
The other surprise in this passage is the fact that Levi got up and followed, right away, no hesitation. Levi, also known as Matthew, is a tax collector. He probably makes a good living. In another Gospel it says not only that he got up and followed, but that he “left everything.”
He probably had a family, money in the bank, perhaps land, groups of friends with whom he socialized—and he got up and followed Jesus. Levi knew that following Jesus was a 24/7 proposition. There was no room left for his former life.
And yet he followed.
to be continued January 13
Help me to be a follower, O Lord God.
These Signposts originally appeared on explorefaith in 2007.
