“And As Jesus passed forth from thence, [H]e saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom…”  (Matthew 9)

 

I We recently heard a radio preacher speaking on Matthew, who was a tax collector.  This inspired me to write a short introduction to some of the men Christ called to, “Follow me.”  We will reintroduce you to some other familiar names that you may see in a different way or brighter and more inspiring light after this article. We trust this will be an encouragement to many and a truth that will cause you to hope.  We will point out some characteristics and traits of the men and women that have been changed by God’s grace.  We believe that many might identify with one (1) or more of these changed persons.  One will also see the power of Christ in bringing these persons into a peace-filled submission and rest.

Let’s begin:
*Matthew or Levi.  We see this man is a tax collector.  Matthew is a Jew, we know this because of his other name, Levi.  Matthew, the Gospel writer, was a betrayer to his jewish nation.  He worked for the hated Romans that occupied Israel.  Matthew would tax and over tax his own people in favour for the Romans!!!  In today’s political lingo, we would call Matthew a liberal and a leftist that works for the IRS. However, This man answered Christ’s call to “Follow me.” This man became the inspired writer of The Gospel according to Matthew.  Reader, even a liberal can be saved and transformed and many have. Never lose hope in a liberal friend or family member.

*John and James: These brothers must have been raised in a subjectivly minded family.  Christ calls the two (2) men, the sons of thunder.  Did their father have a thunderous temper?  The mother wanted to be certain that her boys would sit each one on either side of Christ in the kingdom….talk about a stage mother or alpha woman.  Even john and James, when they came a cross another that was casting out devils, in the Name of Christ, but did not travel in the same circle, forbid him.  John also wanted to call fire down from heaven and to destroy others.  These men answered Christ’s, “Follow [M]e. John became the disciple whom Jesus loved and the very apostle of love.  James gave his life for his love of Christ and church.  Christ can over power and subdue the emotional.

*Peter: This great man and great apostle of Christ and Leader of the Jewish Church had his flaws to be sure.  We do not point out these flaws to beat upon Peter as so many others find pleasuring.  We will point out these flaws to demonstrate that flaws…even great flaws can be overcome with the Spirit’s power. Peter was a man with a great temper, remember him trying to behead Malchus, one of the Roman centurian’s sent to arrest Christ?

Peter was a man with a srong personality and an opinion on many things.  When Christ asked the disciples a question, it is usually written, “Peter answered,”  or  “and Peter answering, said,”  or  “and Peter said.”  Peter was often rebuked for his readiness to speak up. Peter would say, “What about him”  when Christ was speaking or rebuking him.  Christ said to Peter, “Get thee behind [M]e, (s)atan.  Peter boasted about his love for Christ, only to deny him three (3) times AND he disbelieved Christ when Christ told him he would do so!!!  After Christ rose, there was a time when Peter decided to throw in the towel and go back to fishing.  Reader, Peter was a man of many flaws just like you and me. Reader, this profile on Peter picks up after Simon the Zealot.

*Simon the zealot: Another of Christ’s original twelve, was a terrorist that rebelled against the Roman occupier.  Even a terrorist or freedom fighter can find peace, rest, and the ability to love his enemies.  The quieting Spirit of Christ that can bring peace into the most irrate and rebellious heart of anyone.  Reader, Many Muslums and Muslum terrorist have been loved first (1st) by Christ and returned that love to Christ and Christ’s Church.  No one (1) can resist the grace and love of Christ when Christ says, “Follow [M]e.”

This is the paragragh that belongs with Peter’s profile. However, with all of these flaws, Peter, after being baptised and filled with the Holy Spirit became an altogether different man. Peter is one (1) of the earlist Trophies of Grace won by Christ.  peter would not be such an inspiration if he had not been first a flawed man.  This man Peter answered the call of Christ, “Follow [M]e.” and he stands as an inspiration to every believer and stands for the transforming power of God’s grace. Have no doubt on this matter.

*Mary Madalene: A harlot was completely changed into a woman of grace, meekness and a quiet spirit.  Mary stands as a truly transformed woman that demonstrates the power and grace of God.  When this writer was a young and God-fighting rebel, he spent time in a “gentleman’s” club. I made many friend with the woman in these clubs.  I rteally was the guy that went to find friendship more than any kind of sexual satisfaction and I say that before God.  Anyway, though I was in rebellion against God, I could not stop telling others of Christ.

There was one (1) dancer in particular that i be-friended…stricty platonic. I never took advantage of her fallen state, in terms of lap dances or anything else.  In fact, we would pretend to have lap dances and we would speak about the saving grace of Christ.  Reader, I lie not, I went into that club, after being absent for some time.  I asked about my friend and was told by another dancer, ” Oh! My G**, would you believe she found religion and quit!!!”  Reader, at the time of this writing this writer had goosebumps.  This was one (1) of the things that began to break down my rebellion….Reader, GOD IS GOoD, So GOoD!!!

*Rahab, the harlot:  This woman though transformed by God and installed in the hall of Faith in Hebrews eleven (11) is STILL CALLED THE HARLOT!!!  Why is this? Why does the Holy Spirit choose to call her a harlot or whore?  Again!!! it is to show the Condescending Grace of God. If you lived in the time of Rahab and lived in Jericho, you would have saw Rahab as a treasonous whore; a whore who is the betrayer of her nation and should be put to death.

You could think nothing else.  Yet!!! in God’s Holy and Righteous Eye, He names her as a great hero of our faith AND, AND, AND is in the geneology of our Lord Jesus!!!  O’ May God be praised for His mercy that chooses whom He will have mercy upon!!! Christ tells the religiously proud that many harlots will enter Heaven and they will not.

*Samson:  This is certainly one (1) of my very favourites among God’s Biblical saints.  If you lived during Samson’s time ans was a contemporary of Samson and was familiar with Samson, you would have considered him to be: an apostate and breaker of every vow that God put upon him, a womanizer, a fornicator, spoiled, arrogant, ruthless, blood-thisty, an abuser of animals, and a murderer. Yet, Reader, Samson, like Rahab has been installed in Hebrew’s Hall of Faith!!!  Reader, Samson is a perfect example of a man that has had God look upon his heart.

*Ruth:  Ruth is the descendent of Lot and his incestuos daughters.  YES!!! Reader, the daughter’s of Lot, made him drunk and raped him; they raped their own drunken father!!!  Ruth, the Moabitess comes from this line that began in incest AND, AND, AND is in the line of Christ’s geneology, too!!!  The Grace and Mercy of Christ be magnified in your heart and mind.

*Saul/Paul:  This man was a vehement and frothing enemy of the Lord Jesus. Saul dedicated his life to the arrest, tortue, and muder of Christ’s people.  Saul breathed hatred and seething incitement.  Saul was a pitbull of the Jewish temple. Saul was an Hebrew of the Hebrew and a Pharisee of the Pharisee. Everything Christ said to the Pharisees in Matthew 23 could probably have been said of Saul, except Saul would not die in his sins.

No man had anything on Saul of Tarsus. He was a Jew And a Roman citizen by birth.  This man had it all: the favour and respect of the powerful, an intelligence that could not be matched, he knew the right persons, he was not wanting for money. Saul was the man, there can be no doubt.

BUT, but, but…then he came face to Face with the Risen, Reigning and Ascended Christ.  On his way to Damascus, with all authority, was anticipating a time of Christ-ian persecution.  Nothing else mattered to Saul. Saul had tunnel vision.  Saul could smell and taste the blood of the Christ-ians, he was infected with a blood-lust.

As he traversed this Damascus Road, a great Light that was brighter than the desert’s noon day glarying and beating sun was about to change Saul’s life, mind, heart, direction, reason to live, and his very name.  Saul was about to become Paul. As this Light blinded Saul and through him from his horse, he heard, “Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou [M]e?”  and Saul answered, with quaking and stammering tongue, “Who art [T]hou, Lord?  To which Christ answered, “I am Jesus [W]hom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. Saul, then asked trembling and astoished, “Lord, what wilt [T]hou have me to do?”

Saul soon became Paul and became the leader, under Christ, of the Gentile Church.  Christ’s Gospel became, “my Gospel.”  Paul was transformed from a Christ-ian persecutor, torturer, and murderer into one (1) who, “endures all things for the elect’s sake.” and has encouraged Christ’s sainted soldiers down through the history of the Church of Christ, “…Endure hardness, as a a good soldier of Jesus Christ… that he may please [H]im [W]ho hath chosen him to be a soldier.”

Paul, who separated family members, promises us that there is nothing that can separate us from “the love of God in Christ.”  Paul tells us that Christ be for us, and “if God be for us, who can be against us?”  It is Paul that inspires us to “Standfast in the liberty wherewith Christ has made you free.”  “Be ye steadfast, always abounding in the work of the Lord…”  “After having done all, Stand.”

Paul, who was Saul and was a destroyer of Christ’s Church was transformed into Paul the founder of the Gentile Church, under Christ’s leadership and authority.

Reader, No person is beyond the hope of God’s salvation. The most vile the sinner is, may become the holiest of saints. The above proves it.  This is why we are to love our neighbors and enemies.  The radio preacher I heard said, “Thank God, He loves His enemies.”  I would be more precise and say, “Thank God, He loved many of His enemies.”

Reader, be careful how you treat sinners, you may be mistreating an elect of God.  Reader, Did you find someone to identify with?