This was an irreversible decision. Peter, Andrew, James, and John had a trade to return to, but the Romans would not have welcomed back a man who left his tax booth.

Jesus called Levi to a completely different life—not to add believing in Jesus to his old way of life, but to leave his old life for something new. When you follow Jesus, here’s what you will have:

A new identity
This man was known as a tax collector. Now he would be known as a disciple. People would remember what he had been, but it would no longer define him.

A new community
When Levi held a party in Jesus’ honour, he had a long invitation list. But he became part of a new community. The other disciples would never have had anything to do with Levi before, but they became his brothers.

A new mission
Jesus came to call sinners to repentance. That became Levi’s mission too. Jesus came to do the will of the Father. Levi’s new mission was the same.

A new name
Levi is better known by another name—Matthew—and most likely it was Jesus who gave it to him. Matthew means “Gift of God.”

This brings us to something wonderful: Levi was used by God to compile the Gospel of Matthew. Who better to keep records of all that Jesus did?

Levi could never have known what Jesus would do with his life, and the only way to discover what Jesus can do with your life is to step out in faith and follow Him. Are you ready to become more than you are right now?

Which of these do you most long for: a new identity, a new community, a new mission, or a new name?

Notice that this command of Jesus is completely open-ended. “Follow me.” What will this mean for Levi? Jesus gives no specifics.

When students are looking around universities, the admissions department will say, “Here’s our course. And here are all the marvellous facilities we have on campus. And here’s what we can offer by way of bursary or future career options.”

If you are being recruited for a job, human resources will say, “Here is the mission of our company, and here is where you can contribute. And here are the salary and benefits. There is a great future for you here.”

But there’s nothing like that here. Just two open-ended words: “Follow me.” To follow Jesus is to share His life. It involves going where Jesus goes, doing what Jesus does, believing what Jesus says, suffering what Jesus suffers, and finding joy in who Jesus is.

It’s easy to see what following Jesus meant for the disciples during His ministry on earth. But the gospels make clear that following Jesus is to be the pattern of our lives now that Jesus has ascended into heaven.

The last words of Jesus that John records are His words to Peter, “Follow me!” (Jn. 21:22). The call of Jesus to us is the same as His call to these first disciples: “Follow me.”

How will you respond to Jesus? Are you willing to go where Jesus goes, do what Jesus does, believe what Jesus says, suffer what Jesus suffers, and find joy in who Jesus is?

Why would Jesus choose a man like Matthew the tax collector to be a disciple? Wasn’t it obvious that a man like this, known for his collaboration and corruption, would be a liability?

Luke tells us that the Pharisees “grumbled at his disciples, saying, ‘Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?’” (5:30).

The disciples were probably asking the same question: “Jesus, why don’t you stick with fishermen? We may not have a fancy education like Levi, but we are known as hard-working people who earn an honest living.”

So why did Jesus call Levi? “I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance” (Lk. 5:32).

The call of Levi is a marvellous sample of grace. Jesus calls the least likely, the least deserving. To Levi, who had practised extortion, Jesus said, “Follow me.” To the thief on the cross, a violent man, He said, “Today you will be with me in paradise” (Lk. 23:43).

And who would have imagined that Jesus would call Saul of Tarsus, who hated Christians? He described himself as a blasphemer, persecutor, and violent person. “But I received mercy.” Why? Because “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Tim. 1:13, 15).

That’s grace! “God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak... to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised... so that no human being might boast in the presence of God” (1 Cor. 1:27–29).

If there is hope in Jesus for Levi, the thief on the cross, and Saul of Tarsus, there is hope in Jesus for you and for every person you will ever meet.

Reflect on Jesus’ choice to call the least likely and the least deserving.