Leaving All and Rising Up

"After these things He went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, "Follow Me." ²⁸ So he left all, rose up, and followed Him."

Luke 5:27-28

Careful observation of the scripture is critical for deeper understanding.  I do not profess to know secret knowledge or hidden mysteries, but even for the avid student of the Bible many plain truths lie undisturbed on the surface.  Before we figure we know the meaning of a passage, we must first examine what it says.  The order of the words unveils truth and personal application.  In reading Luke 5 this week I came upon something I had never noticed before, and it is profound.

The scene is simple enough:  Levi was sitting in his office on the clock.  He was a Jew employed by the Romans as a tax collector, and he had paid for the privilege.  The opportunity to be a "publicani" of a region was bid on for a set time and was paid in advance to the government.  Jesus walked up to the man and simply said, "Follow me."  It was a straightforward command but not one obeyed without consequences.  Verse 28 tells us, "So he left all, rose up, and followed Him."  The order of the words seems quite strange.  How could Levi leave all before he even stood up?  It would be easy to transpose  the phrases of the passage and give it little thought.  Is the order significant?  It certainly is!

When Jesus approached Levi and commanded him to follow Him, it was not an offer which could be negotiated.  An immediate decision was required, yes or no.  The order of verse 28 is significant because before Levi even stood to his feet, he had already left all behind:  his right to collect taxes, the significant financial investment and the interest on it, his position of authority, chance of future advancement, and remaining in good standing with the Roman authorities.  A problem common for those who attempt to answer the call to discipleship is they joyfully rise to follow Jesus without first deciding to leave all.  The decision to follow Christ can only be performed once we have decided to deny ourselves, our dreams, ambitions, the future of ease we long for.  Trying to put on the new man without first putting off the old man is an exercise filled with frustration and futility.  We must first purpose to leave all and then we can rise up and follow Christ as Saviour and enter into the joy of the LORD.

As long as we are in two minds about answering the call to Christ, we will never be free to do so.  So much of our Christian existence is a wrestling match between the flesh and the Spirit.  We are chained by worldly thinking and cares and therefore without the freedom to rise up to follow Christ.  The call to follow Jesus is one of self-denial, picking up our cross daily, and following Jesus.  Those who seek to save their lives will lose them, but those who lose their lives for Christ's sake will find them and be rewarded with life eternal.  You do not need to quit your job, end a relationship, move to a foreign mission field, give that money, or sell your house to follow Jesus.  But you must decide you are willing to do so joyfully at Christ's command.  Otherwise you will leave a bit of your heart behind and will never be able to truly say to your LORD and King, "I surrender all."  And if Christ cannot have all of us, we cannot have any part in Him.