I have not come to call the righteous to
repentance but sinners. –
Luke 5:32
What a hopeful and
comforting statement from our Savior in the gospel reading of today! To think
that God actually wants to heal us and love us after we have betrayed Him by
choosing sin. God loves us so much that no matter how full of sinful sickness
we are, He will continually call us back to Himself.
The gospel story today focuses
on Levi (otherwise known as Matthew). Levi was a tax collector. Tax collectors
were considered outcasts by their fellow Jews because they conspired with the
Romans to collect the tax money and often collected more than what was demanded
to satisfy their own greed. They lived a life of selfish pursuits and comfort.
So needless to say, when Jesus was seen with Levi, many of His followers and
those who were suspicious of Him were very indignant. All we are told is that when Jesus saw Levi,
He called out and said “Follow me.” Then Levi does something amazing. The Scriptures say “And leaving everything
behind, he got up and followed Him.”[1] How did
Levi do it? How could he leave everything behind so quickly and so seemingly
unattached? Essentially Levi must have been looking for a change and when he
was given the chance, he immediately responded. He repented, followed Jesus,
and began life anew.
Levi was responding to the
longing that God has placed in all our hearts from the very beginning; a
longing to know, love, and serve Him to the best of our ability. Like Levi, we frequently seek happiness in
the things of this world but this only brings us emptiness. We will only
experience true freedom and happiness when we turn from a life of selfish
pursuits and follow Christ. This is echoed in the first reading for today in
Isaiah. God promises that we will delight in Him and experience joy if we live a
life of virtue and follow His statutes.
Levi found this joy when
Jesus called him. Indeed he even gave a big banquet to celebrate! We too can
find this joy if we repent of our sinfulness and follow the call He has placed
on our hearts to love Him first. He will heal us from the wounds of the past
and allow us to begin a new life.
What are one or two things
that are keeping you from following God more closely? Place those at the foot
of the cross and ask God to help you make a change. Prayerfully consider how
you will make that change so you can love God more deeply today. Trust in His
infinite love and mercy and know that He desires to bring you great joy when you
follow Him.
~ Helen Almeter
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