He said to him, “Follow me.”
Matthew 9:9
And he got up and followed him.
Reflection
Jesus passes Matthew at his customs post and tells him to follow. Matthew follows Jesus, and when they are eating at Matthew’s house with other tax collectors and sinners, the Pharisees ask why Jesus is eating with those types of people. Jesus replies that the sick need a physician, not those who are well.
Jesus calls Matthew straight from his job. Matthew is apparently sitting at his post, but immediately follows Jesus. He leaves everything behind, just like the other Apostles. This makes one think that he was unhappy with his life, and what Jesus was offering was much better.
Christ offers us this same invitation today. We are all unhappy with some aspect of our lives, and it is in that where our Lord beckons us to follow him to a better place. Only Christ can give us true joy and peace – our jobs certainly do not offer us those things. When we give our lives to God, we become fulfilled in so many ways and realize that following him is the best option. How is Jesus calling you today?
Saint of the Day
St. Matthew: 1st century AD
| As Jesus passed by, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the customs post. He said to him, “Follow me.” And he got up and followed him. Matthew 9:9 |
