Follow Me!
Mark 2: 13 – 14
During his vacation on the Florida coast, a tourist capsized his boat. He could swim, but his fear of alligators kept him clinging to the overturned craft. Spotting an old beachcomber standing on the shore, the tourist shouted, "Are there any gators around here?!"
"Noo," the man hollered back, "they ain't been around for years!"
Feeling safe, the tourist started swimming leisurely toward the shore. About halfway there he asked the guy, "How'd you get rid of the gators?"
"We didn't do nothin'," the beachcomber said. "The sharks got 'em." Sometimes life’s journeys have some challenges.
From this morning’s passage in Mark, it is clear that Jesus intends for us to follow Him during our journey and commit to Him and press on in spite of perceived challenges. Learning to follow Jesus means that we stake all we have and all we are on Him. There is no return ticket!
But what brought both Jesus and Levi to that moment, that point in time when lives would be changed forever? Let’s start with a little background information on both men.
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Two thousand years ago, Capernaum, due to its location for travel and trade, was a frontier town. It was home for some of the wealthiest and poorest. It was a providence of Rome and ruled by Herod Antipus, son of Herod the Great. When traveling from north to south, Capernaum was the first town on the route. It was of particular interest to Rome due to the import and export taxes which were collected. The tax collectors called “publicans” were in service to Rome and much hated by other Jews. There was no set tax, so the collectors kept a portion as commission for their efforts. They were usually wealthy and wildly unpopular …enter Levi.
Capernaum was a Jewish town. Teaching and worship occurred in the synagogue. The synagogue door was more often being shut on Jesus. The gap between Jesus and the Sanhedrin was ever widening. Now, on that day, He is not teaching in the synagogue, but on the seashore…out in the open air. So ironic that the Son of God is being banned from the House of God! Walking, and talking was a very common way of rabbinical teaching…enter Jesus.
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Listen to our passage once again…
“And He went out again by the seashore; and all the multitude were coming to Him, and He was teaching them. And as He passed by, He saw Levi the son of Alpheus sitting in the tax office, and He said to him, ‘FOLLOW ME!’ And he rose and followed Him.”
There was to be a collision of lives that day as teacher and tax collector collided head on into one another…and neither would be the same.
Pack your bags. We are going on a trip. This morning, I want to transport you there, to that place, to that meeting…come, Follow Me!
The Story: So Jesus has been teaching in Capernaum and we can glean from the preceding passages that the “whole town” was coming out to see and hear this new teacher. Certainly people from all walks of life were drawn to the message of love and forgiveness. From fishermen to iron workers, from soldiers to common thieves. And the Tax collector, Levi (later renamed Matthew) was no exception. Imagine with me…imagine Levi standing in the shadow; out of direct sight because of the obvious shame and knowing no other Jew cared for him. He had heard the words of this Jesus…had seen Him forgive sins and then heal the sick. Levi probably had a huge weight on his heart and although was quite secure in his wealth and stature and safety,
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He did not like himself anymore than the citizens he unjustly taxed. He heard the works, but could not imagine life without his money and power. And still when the crowds gathered…Levi was there. Can you imagine that Jesus looks over each crowd as He speaks and heals. He sees some of the same faces; faces that nod in agreement, faces that scowl at the promises and bold statements. Then…there must have been some who held no expression at all. They just sat there and drank it all in…showing very little, if any, emotion. Could Levi have been one of those faces?
Maybe once, a few days earlier, during one of those teachings, Jesus looked straight through the crowd…into the eyes of Levi. And He said something that only Levi could hear because it was so personal. A statement stated to the crowd, but intercepted by just one wealthy and powerful, lonely and empty man.
Analogy: Peter Pan, Tinkerbell and my nephew, Matt
Many years ago, we were all watching the part when Tinkerbell begins to fade away. And Peter Pan asked…implores the audience to clap if they believed. Back then , My nephew, Matt was 6 years old. Matt jumped up and started clapping. Then he turned to us and said, “clap! Start clapping! What’s the matter with you people?!”
---Peter Pan’s message got through to at least one person in that room. Just as Jesus’ words connected with Levi.
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Don yamaka
“Like an arrow to my heart, I felt the stirrings of something new and maybe I didn’t like it, but it was there all the same. And for the next few days that arrow stayed lodged in my heart. And it followed me through the day and into the night. It wound its way into my dreams and at work. And it was with me that day when Jesus decided to take a walk by the sea. Business had been very good the whole day, so why did I not feel as content as before. And then I heard that Jesus was coming. He was surrounded by the crowd and His chosen few who were with Him all the time…and then the crowd stopped…right in front of my office. A hush came over the people as a very thin veil of dust floated up into the air. Is the crowd parting into two groups like when Moses parted the Great Red Sea? Or does it just appear that way? That arrow in my heart! What is that feeling and why does it continue to haunt me? Try as I might, I cannot keep from looking into that gap in the crowd. Of course, there He is…Jesus. He is looking straight at me with those eyes that seem to know my torment. For a brief moment, the people disappear…and all can see is Jesus. The backdrop of the Sea behind Him melts away and I can see my beautiful house and all my land and slaves and possessions. That aching in my chest! Surely, surely my heart will burst from this arrow HE put there!
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But he looks at me…only at me and holds out His hand..in a lose fist, and He says to me..only to me, “Levi…come…and follow me!” And in that moment all my possessions did not matter. The crowd did not matter. My very life did not matter. He opened His hand…and there lay a simple wooden nail. That wooden nail somehow removed the aching in my chest! My heart was free of pain. I knew then and there that only Jesus could free me from myself. So, I laid down my pen, pushed my ledger over to my assistant…rose and followed Him.
Doff yamaka
Application:
The application(s) of this verse, rich in imagery and symbolism, what could they be? What could God be teaching us with these two verses?
Maybe several “life lessons”…if you will.
1. Possibly it could be ways in which Jesus calls us into His service. In how many ways and situations are we called to follow Him…every day?
2. Maybe it could lead to a discussion on where Jesus is leading us. If we were to diligently follow Him, where would it lead us? And how would that change our decision making processes…in all aspects of our lives?
3. Possibly this is a passage that reflects on sacrifices and gains??
Telemachus, a 4th century Christian monk: He lived a remote village and felt the calling of God to visit Rome. He followed the crowd to the great Coliseum. He saw the gladiators standing in front of the emperor and saying “We who are about to die, salute you!” Realizing this was a fight to the death, Telemachus cried out “Stop, in the name of Christ, stop!”. Not being heard, he pushed through the crowds and jumped the wall into the arena as the contest reached a feverish pitch. Again he cried out “Stop, in the name of Christ, stop!”…they thought it was part of the show…until one gladiator plunged a sword into his body…the crowd became silent, only to hear his last words…”In the name of Christ, stop!”. The fighting stopped. And one by one, the crowd stood and left. From that day forward, never again in that arena, did men fight for the entertainment of others. One man’s sacrifice, one man’s voice, changed a whole culture!
What about gains? What did Jesus offer Levi – a change in vocation, poverty, servant hood, increased popularity?, Freedom, persecution, salvation…But what did Levi sacrifice to receive Jesus’ offer to follow Him? - Wealth, security, safety, recognition, power…a very cool seaside office??
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4. Or maybe this passage could lead us to muse on the possible INTERNAL changes in Levi…
Levi before his call: had specific goals, very calculating and very cold. His livelihood depended on how much he could extract from others…and for that, you must close your heart.
But what of Levi at the moment of his call: Paul says we are “new creatures in Christ”. At that moment, Levi began the change to Matthew…a new creature in Christ. Matthew, one who in 3 short years, would stand against the Roman centurions that met Jesus in Gethsemane.
Some might say that of all the disciples, Matthew gave up the most. In fact, I believe Matthew really did not know the consequences of his decision. He left that seaside office with many questions and awaited the answers.
5. But above all, I think this speaks to me as a story of commitment: Matthew had no answers, but he did rise up and follow Jesus with something more than he started that day. This is what moves me about this passage.
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Matthew developed a sense of commitment to something more than himself. He committed it all to Jesus…He knew there was no return ticket!
Some say that of all the disciples, Matthew had the most to lose…and the gators and sharks were all around. But he became committed.
Jesus is calling each one of us in a very special way to come and follow Him…to commit to Him. To the seasoned believer, He might say – persevere.
Every morning we awake like Matthew. Jesus asks us to commit, persevere and to follow Him…to keep following Him on that journey that will take us Lord knows where. He is asking us to keep staking it all on Him. And I’m betting by soul that it’s worth the trip!
Don yamaka
Matthew: As for me...I followed Jesus. To be honest, sometimes I wasn’t sure I was worth the effort. Sometimes it took all I had to do it Jesus’ way. But ever since that day He looked at me and chose me, I was never the same. And I have never regretted the difference.
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Because, you see, that simple wooden nail bought my freedom from death. So when you hear Him call…Keep rising and follow Him into life eternal.
Doff Yamaka
In the name of the One who gives, the One lives, and the One who resides in our hearts…Amen