THE REFUGE
“As Jesus went on from there, He saw a man called Matthew, sitting in the tax collector’s booth; and He said to him, “Follow Me!” And he got up and followed Him.”
Matthew 9:9 NASBS
One of the greatest historical documents ever written about Jesus Christ was penned by a man named Matthew. Matthew, also known as Levi, was a tax collector who lived in Capernaum. He was despised by his own culture because he worked for the Roman government. He made himself very wealthy by collecting taxes dishonestly from his own people, extorting money through lies. He was a renegade at heart whose conscience had become seared with little or no effect at all. He gave his allegiance to Rome, allowing his mind to become seduced by material wealth. He was by nature a child of wrath, an enemy of the most high God, and was awaiting retribution by the Holy One Who will one day consume the world with vengeance. But one day while Matthew was sitting in his tax collector’s booth engaged in his degrading business, blinded by the darkness that was in his heart, Eternal love called him, saying, “Follow me.” As The Lord Jesus spoke these gracious words, he got up and left his business and surrendered his life to Him.
What a wonder it must have been for Matthew to write about his own conversion as the Holy Spirit directed him. How the tears must have streamed down his cheeks with each pin stroke as his life flashed before his eyes as he recalled the deep love that Jesus had for him. For Matthew was a notorious sinner and was the most unlikely person in his culture to ever be used by the Lord. Although he was ridiculed and rejected by society, hated amongst his own fellow people, yet Jesus of Nazareth, the eternal King, passed over all the people of influence and called him by his name. There is not much really said about Matthew, he only mentions his name twice in this letter. He was a humble man who kept himself in the background serving, seeking to minimize his name and to elevate the name of Jesus Christ.
There is no doubt that Mathew never got over the fact that Jesus loved him when no one else did.
My brothers and sisters in Christ, may the Holy Spirit recall to your memory the day that Jesus was passing by and He called your name. As for me, it was as if time stood still in the dead of silence. My heart was arrested by His love, and in that moment I saw all my sins in clarity. The presence of His holiness flooded through my body and I felt as if I must die. My heart began to tremble with great fear and I cried out, “Lord, forgive me, a sinner.” As tears filled my eyes The Holy spirit brought to my memory the scars of the wounded Savior. The scriptures came alive to me and I knew that it was Christ, Who was pierced through for my transgressions, it was He, Who was bruised for my iniquity, and the chastening of my well-being fell upon Him. Those nail scarred hands that hold the entire world gently guided me safely into His arms. The gentle whispers of the voice that commands the roaring seas and shakes the heavens said, “Your sins have been forgiven you for my name’s sake.” As the Lord passes by you in this short devotional, or in whatever purpose He wills to choose, may today be the day He calls your name.