“And after these things He went forth, and saw a publican, named Levi, sitting at the receipt of custom: and He said unto him, Follow me.” Luke 5:27
“Associate with men of good quality if you esteem your own reputation; for it is better to be alone than in bad company.” - George Washington
Reading the gospels makes it clear that Jesus did not esteem His reputation, in the words of George Washington. Just observe who Jesus hung around with. He didn’t make friends with people whose culture accepted and valued them. It wasn’t always the well-off, intelligent, sociable, or even the moral. The Father drew Jesus to the marginalized, forgotten, and hated. Through the disciples He called to follow Him, we get a glimpse of this.
In the days of Jesus, it was not common for a teacher to call his disciples. Rather, the opposite was true. Students applied to follow rabbis, but they had to meet certain requirements in order to even be considered. Because the disciples were a direct mirror of their professors, rabbis were selective about who they chose to accept.
Jesus made unusual choices on who and how to choose His disciples. No official application was made, there was no list of criteria, and there was no requirement of hoop-jumping. “Follow Me” was the only invitation that was present. Calling Levi the tax collector must have been enough to convince people that Jesus was not approaching this task as they thought He should. In all of Israel, tax collectors were the most hated group of people. They stole and cheated. The synagogues were closed to them. They belonged to the same social class as robber and were viewed as traitors.
According to the Bible, Jesus saw Levi. El Roi, which translates to “God Who Sees,” is one of the many names given to God in the Old Testament. Jesus saw beyond Levi’s actions and identity to the person He could become. With compassionate eyes of wisdom and love, Jesus called on this tax collector to come and follow Him.
Like Jesus, we must make the decision to see individuals for who they can be in Christ, and in the power of His Spirit. At the foot of the cross, there is no room for bigotry. Our invitation is the same regardless of origin, ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic class, or even our own beliefs. The same invite goes out today, ‘Grab my hand, get on board, and come follow.’ We will be astounded by what God accomplishes if we faithfully fulfill this straightforward assignment!
Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you for your willingness to see past my sin and truly see me. Please assist me in showing others who need to know You the same grace and mercy. In Jesus’ name, Amen
