Reading I
1 Sm 9:1-4, 17-19; 10:1
There was a stalwart man from Benjamin named Kish,
who was the son of Abiel, son of Zeror,
son of Becorath, son of Aphiah, a Benjaminite.
He had a son named Saul, who was a handsome young man.
There was no other child of Israel more handsome than Saul;
he stood head and shoulders above the people.
Now the asses of Saul’s father, Kish, had wandered off.
Kish said to his son Saul, “Take one of the servants with you
and go out and hunt for the asses.”
Accordingly they went through the hill country of Ephraim,
and through the land of Shalishah.
Not finding them there,
they continued through the land of Shaalim without success.
They also went through the land of Benjamin,
but they failed to find the animals.
When Samuel caught sight of Saul, the LORD assured him,
“This is the man of whom I told you; he is to govern my people.”
Saul met Samuel in the gateway and said,
“Please tell me where the seer lives.”
Samuel answered Saul: “I am the seer.
Go up ahead of me to the high place and eat with me today.
In the morning, before dismissing you,
I will tell you whatever you wish.”
Then, from a flask he had with him, Samuel poured oil on Saul’s head;
he also kissed him, saying:
“The LORD anoints you commander over his heritage.
You are to govern the LORD’s people Israel,
and to save them from the grasp of their enemies roundabout.
“This will be the sign for you
that the LORD has anointed you commander over his heritage.”
Gospel
Mk 2:13-17
Jesus went out along the sea.
All the crowd came to him and he taught them.
As he passed by, he saw Levi, son of Alphaeus,
sitting at the customs post.
Jesus said to him, “Follow me.”
And he got up and followed Jesus.
While he was at table in his house,
many tax collectors and sinners sat with Jesus and his disciples;
for there were many who followed him.
Some scribes who were Pharisees saw that Jesus was eating with sinners
and tax collectors and said to his disciples,
“Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
Jesus heard this and said to them,
“Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do.
I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.”
Meditation: Mark 2:13-17
It was just another day on the job for Levi: Collect the money, record the income, endure the insults. Nobody liked him much, but it was a living—and a pretty good one at that.
Then Jesus passed by and said: “Follow me.” We don’t know what Levi thought, what fears rose in him or what hurts festered inside him. Most likely, he struggled with the invitation at first. But in the end, he followed. Levi joined the crowd, many of whom probably despised him, and began to be taught by Jesus. He even invited them into his home for a meal!
Jesus has a similar call for each of us, and as the reading illustrates, that call may take you to places you’ve never imagined or throw you in with people you never valued. It may put you in positions you never sought or even knew existed.
Though Jesus’ call is similar for all of us, each of us is unique. The Father created each one of us with a purpose and plan in mind—a good plan, a plan to give you a future full of hope (Jeremiah 29:11)! We can begin to see that plan fulfilled as we respond to Jesus’ call to follow him. When he says, “Follow me,” he means just that: Follow. It’s not an optional invitation, as if we were being invited to a dinner party or to a movie with friends. Rather, it is a summons to follow him, as a parent calls his child to his side.
To each one of us, Jesus says: “Follow me. Believe that when you do, goodness and mercy will follow you all the days of your life (Psalm 23:6).” Levi went on to become the apostle Matthew. As a tax collector, he had been a prominent person. As an apostle, he was far more obscure—but he made a far greater difference in the world! Was it always easy? No. Adventure and risk always go hand in hand. But someone greater than any peril goes hand in hand with us too.
“Jesus, I want to follow you today. Take my hand, and hold it tight! Give me boldness to accept the risks and childlike joy as I step into your good plans for me.”
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