Matthew 9:9
As Jesus went on, He saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth.
He said, “Follow Me.” And he got up and followed Him.
Sometimes God’s call can no longer be only considered, admired, or postponed. A call demands an immediate decision. Matthew was sitting at the tax booth when Jesus said, “Follow me.” The sentence is brief, but its consequences changed the entire direction of Matthew’s life. He rose, left his place, and followed Jesus. He didn’t bargain or ask for time to keep his old comforts. As a tax collector, Matthew was not a respected figure in his community. He worked for an oppressive authority and gained by collecting from his own people. His profession gave him substantial income, but it also branded him a traitor and a self-serving man. Many people might have only seen the record of his past. But Jesus saw a person who could still be formed and used for God’s work.
This calling shows that a person’s past does not have to determine their end. No matter how damaged Matthew’s reputation was, Jesus did not consider him beyond salvation. Yet that mercy did not mean Matthew could remain at the tax booth and continue his old way of life. A gracious call simultaneously requires separation. He was accepted to be changed, called to be shaped, and saved to live in God’s will. Jesus did not merely call Matthew out of his old job; He invited him into discipleship. Matthew had to learn the Father’s will, observe his Teacher’s life, and then help proclaim God’s Kingdom. Leaving sin is only the beginning. The purpose of the call is to form a person trustworthy to carry out God’s interests. Salvation always has a direction: from a self-centered life toward a life useful for His Kingdom.
Matthew may already have heard Jesus’ teaching and witnessed His works around Capernaum. So, the decision might not have sprung from an entirely unprepared encounter. Perhaps truth had long been knocking at his heart until the moment came when he had to decide. Likewise, many hear the word for years. They understand truth, feel conviction, even admire Jesus’ life. Yet none of that matters until they truly follow Him.
The phrase “and he got up” signifies more than a bodily motion. Figuratively, he rose from his old identity, his old source of security, and the life orientation that had long governed him. A fisherman might return to catching fish, but a tax collector who leaves his office may not regain his former standing. For Matthew, following Jesus meant paying a very high price. He surrendered the right to determine the direction of his life to the Lord. Here we must ask: have we truly risen, or are we still sitting in our “tax booth”? That tax booth can take the shape of dishonest work, relationships that contradict God’s will, ambitions for honor, or habits that give pleasure but damage holiness. We can claim to follow Jesus while clinging to seats we refuse to leave.
Do not use God’s grace as an excuse to remain in your old life. Grace gives the opportunity and the ability to leave it. Salvation does not remove human responsibility. Precisely because we are called, we must respond; because we are forgiven, we must repent; because we are given new life, we must bear new fruit. Faith that never changes decisions, habits, or life direction deserves serious questioning. Following Jesus is not a one-time decision completed in the past. Every day we face the choice again: follow His will or return to our old seat. Perhaps we have left certain sins, but then built a new tax booth in the form of comfort, status, or spiritual pride. Therefore, a disciple’s life requires ongoing vigilance and surrender.