Leaving Every Thing

Scripture – Luke 5:27-32: 27After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector by the name of Levi sitting at his tax booth. “Follow me,” Jesus said to him, 28and Levi got up, left everything and followed him. 29Then Levi held a great banquet for Jesus at his house, and a large crowd of tax collectors and others were eating with them. 30But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law who belonged to their sect complained to his disciples, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and ‘sinners’?” 31Jesus answered them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 32I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”

Reflection: Here’s another story of Jesus calling someone to follow Him and the person responds immediately. As with Simon in last week’s readings, we don’t know any of the background. Had Levi heard Jesus before? Or had He at least heard of Him. What we do know is “Levi got up, left everything and followed him.”

What I also see is a finality to this act by Levi. Simon could always go back to fishing. But Levi could never go back to the tax booth. His position would have been filled almost immediately, and he would never be considered again for that job.

Lord, give me that kind of faith – to let go of every thing around. I will not let the stuff of my life control me. I choose you, O Lord, to follow. Show me how to leave “everything” as I do that.