The Testimony of Levi

And as He passed by, He saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the Toll Office, and said to him, Follow me." So he rose and followed Him.

This Scripture passage is often seen as merely an introduction of Levi the son of Alphaeus in the life of Jesus. What generally happens to most people when they read this is that they overlook the elements of faith and practical discipleship contained in here that determine the intensity of the Son of God when He calls people to a life patterned by the cross. What needs to be understood is that Levi left his State appointed place of work and followed Jesus immediately. To put forth the consequences of this miraculous circumstance, Levi left his source of wealth, his allegiance to the State, the comforts of indulgent lifestyle, the company of like-minded individuals and (perhaps most significantly) his love for money. Instead, of these tangible benefits Levi gained the reward of an unstable lifestyle, persecution, rejection, and the love of the Son of God. Levi did not make excuses about how or why he must leave his means of monetary employment in order to follow Jesus, he simply did without questioning accepting all of the difficulties of discipleship and what it entails in order to have a lasting treasure. In a day where excuses abound, we are still required to live by a radical unsure faith. We must look to the testimony of Levi and of the disciples throughout History to determine the legitimacy of our faith in Jesus. May God grant us this great reward despite the troubles we have here. Remember these words:

"The Sun of Righteousness will rise with healing in his wings for you people who fear my name. You will go out and leap like calves let out of a stall."


"Come to me, all you toiling and burdened ones, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For it is good to bear my yoke, and my burden is light."

On Difficulty

"I am quite sure that at the cross we can be victorious over all things that come to us in life, whatever they may be."

J.H. Arnold