''FOLLOW ME''

 

        As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him.

        Matthew the apostle was a hated, dishonest, and greedy tax collector. Until Jesus Christ chose him as a disciple. 

God can use anyone to help Him in His work. 

- We should not feel unworthy or we feel worthless. Those times when nothing we do is good enough and we say all the wrong things. The bible says Jeremiah 1:5 You Have Purpose- Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born, I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.

- We should not feel we are unqualified because of our appearance and lack of education. The bible says 2 Corinthians 3:5 If God called you, He will equip you Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God.

Luke 19:2-10 

And behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus. He was a chief tax collector and was rich. And he was seeking to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was small in stature. So, he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was about to pass that way. And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.” So, he hurried and came down and received him joyfully.

- We should not feel unworthy because of our past. The bible says 1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Jesus looks for sincere commitment. 

1 Kings 8:61

61 And may your hearts be fully committed to the Lord our God, to live by his decrees and obey his commands, as at this time.”

Let’s reflect:

As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him.

What is your response and what can you sacrifice when Jesus asked you to Follow Him?

1.  Are you willing to sacrifice your valuable earthly things to Follow Him?

2.  Are you willing to sacrifice your one hour to read the bible and do your devotion? 

3.  Are you willing to sacrifice your Sundays to be with Him and Do His work?

4.  Are you willing to sacrifice your life just like Matthew to Follow, to Serve and to Trust Him?

We should also remember that the highest calling in life is serving God, no matter what the world says. Money, fame, and power cannot compare with being a follower of Jesus Christ.

We pray to our Heavenly Father that we do what did Matthew do and we respond the way Matthew responded to God’s calling .From that time on, instead of collecting tax money, Matthew collected souls for the kingdom of God.

~ P. May ~