Jesus called and Matthew followed.
I think that most of the time as we read the Gospels, we think of the disciples as a bunch of young, single men who didn’t give up much to follow Jesus. We think something along the lines of… “Well these young guys didn’t have a problem giving up their regular lives to follow Jesus around for three years, because they didn’t have much better to do. My life is much more difficult & busy.”
This is far from the truth. The disciples’ lives were difficult and busy too. We know that at least one had a wife, two had a fishing business with their dad that was large enough to have hired hands, and Matthew had a lucrative job as a tax collector.
Matthew… a tax collector. He gave up his business to follow Jesus… and he didn’t know how long he was going to be following. Can you imagine the questions his former coworkers asked when they saw him…
“Hey Matt, why did you quit your job? I heard you just walked away without giving a two-week notice or anything. What happened? Why haven’t you been coming to the company picnics?”
“Oh, because I’m following this traveling preacher around.”
Dumbfounded looks, glassy stares, jaws hitting the floor. “You’re doing what!?”
Matthew and the other disciples gave up some of their friends. They gave up their comfort and their routine. They gave up their businesses and money to wander from town to town with Jesus. Safety nets were totally eliminated. These disciples had to give up a lot to follow Jesus.
What are we willing to give up?
Are we willing to give up…
Allowing our eyes to linger in places they shouldn’t?
Gossiping about others?
Anger, resentment, & unforgiveness?
Relationships that we know are unhealthy?
Entertainment choices…movies, books, video games, music…that don’t honor God?
When Jesus says to you, “Come, Follow Me,” are you willing to follow completely?
Are you giving up all the things that are hindrances to your spiritual growth?
Or do you find yourself like me, willing to follow “to a point” but no further?
I seem to be willing to give the easy things up, but there are too many things that I know aren’t good for me that I want to hang on to. I wonder what blessings we would get if we gave it all over to Him… If we truly said “Yes” to everything God asked us to do each & every time He asked us?