Follow

JESUS SAYS to Levi, a tax collector, “Follow me.” Levi leaves everything and follows Jesus immediately and then throws a party for him. The party gets tense when the Pharisees and their scribes question Jesus for spending time with “sinners.” They know that Levi’s life and profession are messy and, according to their standards, unclean. But this does not stop Jesus from wanting a relationship with Levi. Jesus knows that our lives are messy. He knows about the issues that drag us down and hold us back from becoming the kind of people God wants us to be. Even so, Jesus says to us, “Follow me,” believing that we possess the gifts and potential to be his followers.

—Trevor Hudson, Anthony Egan, SJ, and Russell Pollitt, SJ
Divine Friendship: Reflections for Lent