At these words from Jesus, Matthew got up from what he was doing, I presume quitting his cushy tax collector job without notice and with no real plan other than to follow Jesus. Here he was, a man reviled by all, and likely a man mired in sin and in the exploitation of the poor and powerless; in short, a man who had it made in the ancient world. But such was (and IS—to those who will listen) the power of the voice of Christ; such was the joy of the service of Jesus that at one word from Him, this man was willing to give up everything.
We should recall Matthew’s action each time we drag our feet in one form of service or another. Each time the Lord asks us to smile at someone, speak to someone, have coffee with someone, feed someone, help in any way that lies within our power—we should recall this man who gave up everything to follow Jesus. He gave it up at a word and left all to be with Jesus. So surely, we can follow with a service less drastic, with a task much less onerous. Surely, when we remember what the great saints and apostles sacrificed for us, we can afford the little sacrifice of some of our time.
I am reminded of a true act of selfless love that I was the recipient of many years ago in Bakersfield after an extremely difficult day at work. It was a Friday and I went to a very good Italian restaurant for some linguini and clams. I was led to my table for one and sat down. I barely noticed the couple who were sitting across the aisle from me, as I was busy solving my crossword puzzles as I ate; so I wasn’t aware they were watching me. As they left though, they looked my way, and bid me goodbye with a look of familiarity. I thought that was a little odd considering I had never seen them before (that I know of) and I probably wouldn’t see them again. But I returned their friendly goodbye and went back to my crosswords. I finished my meal and patiently waited for the waitress to bring me the check.
Ten minutes passed. Then twenty. After a half-hour, I said to the waitress, “I’m sorry. I must have eaten my check, because I’m sure you brought it out while I had my head buried in my book!”
She laughed and said, “The couple who were sitting across from you paid your check. And your tip! You’re all done!” I asked her why they would do that—did I look homeless or indigent in some way? She again laughed and replied that they are frequent customers who pay for others’ meals quite regularly! I asked her if she knew their names—she didn’t. I told her to please thank them the next time she sees them and tell them that I will pray for them and ask God to bless them for their generosity.
That was an example of simple love of neighbor. I realize not everyone is in a financial position to do what this couple did for me, but we can offer a lot of service to the less fortunate simply by giving up a few minutes to an hour each day in prayer for them. If we all spent just a little more time praying for one another rather than preying on one another, we would see the world with a lot more optimism.
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