As Jesus passed by,
he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the customs post.
He said to him, "Follow me."
And he got up and followed him.
Jesus calls us to follow him. How can we respond so immediately and completely as Matthew? Matthew realizes that he is a sick man in need of a physician. He is a sinner who has exhausted himself try to pursue happiness through sin. Now he longs for forgiveness.
We respond to Jesus better when we more fully realize our need for him. We follow him more quickly when the desire for God is not just implicit and subconscious but fully understand and explicit.
I will make them mourn as for an only son,
and bring their day to a bitter end.
The trouble is when we keep the external form of religion but forget the power (see Second Timothy 3:5). We step through the various actions of religion without realizing how selfish we still are and how much change we still need. In such situations the LORD will often show us mercy by taking from us the illusion that things are fine as they stand.
Yes, days are coming, says the Lord GOD,
when I will send famine upon the land:
Not a famine of bread, or thirst for water,
but for hearing the word of the LORD.
The word isn't objectively unavailable. But we who live in selfishness can't find it. What must happen at such times is that we must become like Matthew at his customs post. We must grow in desire as we wait for Jesus to appear. When he appears we are ready to follow him, not just in externals, but with all that we are.
My soul is consumed with longing
for your ordinances at all times.
We desire him and we know our desire.
He said to him, "Follow me."
And he got up and followed him.
We follow.
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