Are you ready to follow?

Today is a special day for me :-) I am on my way to Wyoming to visit a very dear and special friend! I am so blessed to get to spend some time visiting with her and her family, but that doesn't mean that I intend to skip out on this important time with God.

Be sure to READ and/or LISTEN to todays readings.

In today's Gospel, we meet Matthew, a tax collector sitting at work. Jesus sees him and calls him to "follow me." With those 2 words, Matthew stops what he is doing and follows Jesus.

This simple act is super profound. Tax collectors were like the worst of the worst. Jesus inviting one to spend time with him would have been crazy, but Jesus calling him to be one of his followers is beyond crazy. Why would he call on Matthew? Jesus doesn't see us the way the world does. Jesus doesn't define us by our past. Jesus sees our hearts and He sees our potential. He was giving Matthew a choice to not let his past define him or dictate his future.

Matthew had to have some special faith from the start. He just got up and left work to follow this guy he didn't know!

The passage jumps to the dinner table, either at Matthew's house or Jesus house (we are not totally sure based on the text). Among those at the table are the disciples, other tax collectors and sinner.

As usual, this drives the Pharisees bonkers. They can not understand why Jesus would eat and spend time with this sort of people. They are not "good enough" to eat and be in His presence. Jesus disagrees. He knows he is exactly where he should be.

It is awesome that The Great Physician and the Great Healer would use a reference to a doctor to explain himself to the Pharisees, but his response was so simple and can't be disputed. This is one of the things I love so much about Jesus in these passages. He always gives such a simple and basic answer, but it is also one that can't be argued with!

He points out that sick people go to and need doctors, not those who are well. Jesus is here to heal the sinners, but more importantly, the sinners that know they have sinned and want to be healed!

God calls us to follow him. He pursues our hearts and continues to invite us to Him. He wants to heal all of us, but we have to choose to be healed. Stop running from him and follow. Saying "yes" to those two simple words "follow me" will change your life for all eternity!