“After this he went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax booth. And he said to him, ‘Follow me.’ And leaving everything, he rose and followed him.” – Luke 5:27-28
Would you? Will you? The invitation of Jesus hasn’t changed in 2000 years: “Follow me.” Levi walked away from his lucrative and secure government job to follow Jesus. He left everything behind on the spot because he immediately saw in Jesus something infinitely more compelling than his continued earthly employment and wealth.
In this age of careful planning, we can get quite invested in our education, employment, plans, property, and assets. Would we willingly leave them behind to follow Jesus? If not, is it because those things are more important and compelling to us than Jesus? Is it because we’re afraid? Is it because our culture, training, education, or perhaps even family or religious background has closed our imagination to the extraordinary possibilities of truly following the divine Son of God wherever He leads?
As Jesus invites you to follow Him more fully, completely, and closely, what might He be asking you to leave behind? Will you? Is your interest, passion, and love for Jesus Messiah more powerful than your attachment to earthly things and situations?