“As He passed by, He saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting in the tax booth, and He said to him, “Follow Me!” And he got up and followed Him” (Mark 2:14).
A tax collector? From amongst the most hated in the culture, Jesus calls this man who would write the Gospel of Matthew. Yes, Jesus can redeem any who will follow Him, even the despised and hated. The good gifts the one called had would be turned from gaining at the expense of others to bringing others the gain of eternal life. We all have good gifts, and the Lord is more than able to put what is good to use for the kingdom.
Lord, I tend to think in terms of good and bad people. But You see all of us as those who need to be redeemed. Guide me in the upward call so that I see that all are gifted by You for good, but that sometimes they use the good for what is bad. You alone know who they are, so grant me wisdom to understand that Your offer of grace should go out from me to all whom I meet. Lead me in the direction of wisdom.
Lord Jesus, You call each one of us to follow You. Help me to understand that You do not see people from the outside but judge them by what they are inside. You see the faithful as You created them to be. Just as You have called me to follow You, so also, You call out to all. Guide me to be an extension of Your call process so that I may reach out to others and share the Good News of the Gospel with all whom I meet. Amen.
