"Jesus noticed a tax collector, Levi...and said to him, 'Follow me.' And leaving everything Levi got up and followed him" (Luke 5:27-28)
How many times have I preached and/or taught or led a discussion from the scene? Way lots of times. But it still speaks to me. Know what I mean?
How do we know if we have "left everything"? Is it when we have moved away from our childhood home, because Jesus called us to serve elsewhere? Is that "leaving everything"? Is it passing up a promotion at work so we can give more time with our spouse & family? Or so we can serve more at church? Is that "leaving everything"? Is it moving to another country? Or moving to the inner city? Or living in a monastery?
When Abraham left Ur, he thought he was leaving everything. When he wandered in the promised land, a wealthy man without a home, he thought he had left everything. When he yielded to Lot's demands for the green pastures, he thought he had left everything. (You know where this is going, don't you?) When he led his son up Mt. Moriah, he thought he had left everything. And maybe at that point, he (and God?) finally knew that he had indeed left everything to follow God.
But at the same time, how do I know that I am following him? Is it when I go to India? Or to some other far-off land? Is that following Jesus? Is it when I extend Christian fellowship to someone in my community who is from an ethnic group not my own? Is that following Jesus?
When Matthew left his tax collecting business, he started following Jesus. But it meant so much more. When Matthew watched his Teacher get arrested, maybe he wasn't sure about following Jesus anymore. But when he joined the other believers after the resurrection in the Upper Room, he followed Jesus. And when he witnessed to the crowds on Pentecost Sunday, he followed Jesus. And when he died a martyr's death in Ethiopia, he followed Jesus.
But doesn't following Jesus also mean more than going to geographical destinations? And more than executing certain physical acts? Matthew could not have followed Jesus in witnessing to a mocking crowd (Pentecost), if he had not already followed Jesus to deeper devotion to God? Similarly, he could not have followed Jesus to a martyr's death, if he had not already learned the deep devotion Jesus modeled and taught?
So for me, leaving all and following Jesus has to do with deeper and unseen devotion. Then when God sees fit, he will have me ready for a test that will give witness to having left everything and followed him.
What do you think?
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