MATTHEW 9:9–13 JESUS CALLED HIM AS HE WAS
Monday, 25th Week - Feast of St. Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist – Year A
Matthew is sitting at the tax booth when Jesus walks by and simply says, “Follow me.” Matthew does not give an excuse. He does not say, “Let me get my life together first.” He gets up and follows Jesus. That is the beautiful thing about Matthew’s story: Jesus did not call him because he was already perfect; Jesus called him because He saw something in him that Matthew himself may not have seen.
Sometimes we think we have to become better before God can use us. We tell ourselves, “I have made too many mistakes,” “I am not holy enough,” or “There are other people who would do this better than I can.” But Jesus looks beyond our past. He sees the person we can become through His grace. And notice what happens next: Matthew opens his home and brings other people to Jesus. The man who was once sitting alone at his tax booth becomes a disciple and eventually an evangelist whose Gospel we still read today.
So perhaps the question for us today is: Where is Jesus asking me to get up and follow Him? Maybe He is calling us to forgive someone, serve someone, return to prayer, become more generous, or simply begin again. We do not need to have everything figured out. Matthew teaches us that sometimes discipleship begins with one simple response: get up and follow. May we have the courage to leave behind whatever keeps us from Jesus and trust that He can do something beautiful with our lives.
With Love and Prayers
Your Co-Traveler