Immediate Obedience to the Call

Reflection

There are many parts of the Gospels that I love, and one of them is the calling of those to follow Jesus. He didn’t choose the religious leaders to be His disciples during His three years of ministry. He chose ordinary men, people like Levi, who were far from being spiritually elevated.

Now, we know that Levi was sitting at the tax booth, and while I don’t know much about the job of a tax collector, we can assume it wasn’t self-employment, considering he worked for Rome. Tax collectors were often seen as corrupt, taking more than what was required to line their own pockets. But what stands out in this story isn’t the fact that Jesus called a sinner; it’s how Levi responded.

Levi’s response was anything but typical. Think about it. Most of us cannot just walk away from our jobs, especially when we have responsibilities, security, and possibly even status attached to them. Imagine being at work, minding your business, and someone walks up to you and says, “Follow me.” What’s your first response? Would you drop everything and go? Likely not.

But Levi didn’t hesitate. Scripture doesn’t tell us much about his history with Jesus, other than Jesus was simply passing by. But Levi’s response amazes me. He immediately rose up and followed. The cost of following Jesus was great. He gave up his job, his security, and probably his influence with the Romans. Yet, he didn’t second guess it. He made the decision right there on the spot.

I think about how often I put my service to God on a timeline, trying to figure out a way to serve both myself and Jesus. We all do it in one form or another. But Levi’s example is a reminder that following Jesus is a decision that requires immediate action. We don’t need to know all the details. We just need to trust Him and follow when He calls.