“As Jesus passed on from there, He saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and He said to him, ‘Follow Me.’ And he rose and followed Him.” (Matthew 9:9)
In this verse, Matthew records how he himself became a disciple of Jesus.
Several people in the Bible tell about their personal journey of faith. The apostle John, for example, describes himself as “the disciple whom Jesus loved,” and shares with us what Jesus said and did during His time on earth. The apostle Paul testified on various occasions how the risen Jesus stopped him and asked him: “Saul! Saul! Why do you persecute Me?” (Acts 22:6-8; 26:13-15). This encounter changed Paul’s life forever.
At first sight, Matthew’s account seems not that impressive. However, his calling is no less of a miracle than the healings described in the previous chapters. One word from Jesus sufficed to let Matthew give up everything to follow Jesus! A few chapters later, “Matthew the tax collector” is listed with the inner circle of twelve disciples that followed Jesus closely and were later sent out as His witnesses to the end of the earth.
These few examples show that every believer has his/her own story of faith. Some may be more spectacular than others, but they all show God’s power at work in their lives.
Do you share your story with others? If so, what is your aim in doing so? If not, what holds you back?