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From Today’s One Year Bible Reading Plan at BibleInAYearOnline.com

Follow me and be my disciple,” Jesus said to him. - Luke 5:27 (NLT)

When Jesus called Levi (also known as Matthew), a tax collector despised by society, He didn’t give a lecture or list of qualifications, He simply said, “Follow me.” And Levi got up, left everything, and followed Him. That’s the power of Jesus’ presence and invitation.

Levi wasn’t the only one whose life was transformed by a simple encounter with Jesus. Peter, too, experienced the overwhelming goodness of God when Jesus filled his empty nets with a miraculous catch of fish. Peter’s response? He fell to his knees, confessing, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man.” He wasn’t just admitting to a few flaws, he saw himself as completely unworthy. Yet Jesus called him anyway.

This is the heart of the gospel: Jesus calls the unworthy, the broken, and the unlikely, not because of what they’ve done, but because of who He is. When He declared in the synagogue that He had come to proclaim “the year of the Lord’s favor,” He was announcing the arrival of a new era, an age of grace, not merit.

The old system of reward based on performance was being replaced with a new covenant, one where blessing comes first, before any deserving act. It’s this unexpected kindness that draws hearts to repentance, just as Romans 2:4 says: “It’s the goodness of God that leads you to repentance.”

When Jesus says, “Follow me,” He’s not leading you into slavery under an impossible standard. He’s inviting you into relationship with the One who loves first, gives first, and blesses first. He’s not a taskmaster demanding perfection, He’s a Savior offering grace.

Reflection Question: What’s holding you back from fully following the One who gives before you even ask?

Prayer: Jesus, thank You for calling me to follow You, not because I deserve it, but because of Your goodness. Help me respond with the same immediacy as Levi and Peter, trusting in Your grace and walking in Your love. In Jesus' Name Amen.