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"As He moved on, Jesus saw a man named Matthew at his post where taxes were collected. He said to him, 'Follow Me.' " —Matthew 9:9
We hear the Lord knocking on the door and calling us by name (Rv 3:20). We sense something inside drawing us to Jesus. He is still calling today's "Matthews" to follow Him. Nonetheless, we are afraid to say "Yes." We're afraid of what people will think.
It has never been popular to follow Jesus. To be His disciple means becoming a fool in the eyes of the world (1 Cor 4:10). We are afraid and hesitate to follow the Lord because we are not secure in His love. If we knew deep down that He died on the cross out of love for each one of us, we wouldn't worry about playing the fool. We would be afraid not to follow Jesus, instead of afraid to follow Him. When we know we are loved by God Himself, unconditionally, sacrificially, and eternally, we are freed from worldly manipulation and freed for obedience to Jesus.
Jesus again is calling: "Follow Me." Secure in His love, let us come to Him.
Prayer: Father, may I come to know and believe in the love You have for me (1 Jn 4:16).
Promise: "Make every effort to preserve the unity which has the Spirit as its origin and peace as its binding force." —Eph 4:3
Praise: St. Matthew accepted a dinner Guest and it changed his life (Mt 9:10ff).
Reference: (For a related teaching, order our tape Making Disciples in a Culture of Death on audio AV 97-1 and 97-3 or video V-97.)
Rescript: †Reverend Joseph R. Binzer, Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, February 1, 2011
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