Get up and follow!

"As Jesus passed by, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the customs post. He said to him, 'Follow me.' And he got up and followed him."
Matthew 9:9

It never ceases to amaze me how fast and fully Matthew just got up and followed Jesus. There may have been a bit more to the story, but the point is clear...Matthew answered Jesus' call without much hemming and hawing. Do you wonder what his wife said, "Oy vey! So you're going to quit your job and follow a preacher around? Like that's gonna put food on the table?" We can laugh but, many times, our answering the call of Jesus is upsetting to those around us. And why? Because answering Jesus' call makes us different, unusual. Our lives will not be the same as they were. Following Jesus may put us at odds with others. They may feel that we have become too goody-goody or ooey-gooey. Following Jesus puts us at odds with the world and its emphasis on money, power and success. We may do strange things like put others first, pray for our enemies, give generously to the poor. Weird stuff like that. It says that Matthew just got up and followed Jesus. His life changed beyond imagining. He lost his old life and took on a new life in Jesus. And we are called to do the same. How fast do we get up and follow? Love, heidi