This week, we have a special series for our First Word Blog.
For Summers 2005 and 2006, Program Director Jessica “Shadow” Bordeleau created a series of first-person devotions sharing the perspective of different people from the Bible and their interactions with Jesus. Campers would go on a “Jesus Walk” one of their nights at camp and hear from different counselors acting out biblical characters who would tell “their” story to the campers. Here is how that night was introduced to campers:
Tonight is a special devotion. You will go on a journey to see Jesus. You will travel from fire to fire looking for Jesus. You will be led in songs the entire way. You will sing as you walk from fire to fire. One you get to a fire you will sit quietly on the benches and wait to see what will happen. Your journey begins now! Remember you are looking for Jesus.
———————————-
Matthew
I just didn’t want to give it up. I had heard him preaching but I just didn’t want to give it all away. I was amazed by what Jesus said and the things that He did...but I knew that if I followed him I would have to give up too much.
Everyone around here is poor, but not me! When the Romans came and took control of my town we were all devastated. They had false gods, wild lifestyles and they were so violent. They had no problems treating us Jews as if we didn’t matter. They pushed us around, made us pay incredibly high taxes and if we stood up for ourselves they would kill us. Soon life wasn’t so great anymore and everyone was running out of money. So what did I do? I worked my way into one of the highest paying jobs around. I became a tax collector for the Romans.
Yes, that’s right...I became a traitor, I became “Matthew the tax collector”. I walked from door to door demanding money of my own people. I worked for the bad guys just to make a buck. I usually collected more than I was suppose to and kept it for myself. But we all did it! I wasn’t the only one! What was I suppose to do, just be poor? I was sick of people looking down on me, wearing old clothes and not eating decent food! From the day I became a tax collector I had what I wanted! Money, power, popularity! I was cool to the cool people. People looked at me and thought “I want to be that guy.” I had it all; money, power, huge parties, attention from important people and beautiful women. I was right where I wanted to be. All that mattered to me was my own image....until I met Jesus.
(pause) “Follow me!” I had seen Him walk up to fishermen, say “Follow me” and they left their nets, their boats and their jobs to follow Him. I couldn’t do it, but the fact that those fishermen did intrigued me. I started sneaking off to listen to Jesus preach. I wanted to know what he was selling. It didn’t take me long to see that Jesus was different. He taught that it mattered more what God thought of you than what others thought....that all that really matters is your relationship with God... but I just couldn’t do it. I wanted to be cool, I wanted to be well liked and I wanted to do things MY way. Jesus was asking too much.
I got up to leave, but I couldn’t. The crowd had grown so big and we were all so tightly jammed in that little house that no one could get in or out. There were people pushing in on me from every side, I started to panic. I couldn’t get out, I couldn’t even move! Hay started falling from the ceiling. The house was falling to pieces! Is the world coming to an end or is it just my life that was ending? What good would all my wealth and popularity do me if my life was over? Suddenly I knew that Jesus was right. I had been wasting my life by chasing things that didn’t really matter. I was awakened from my thoughts by a huge chunk of hay hitting me in the face. There were men on the roof kicking down the hay to make a hole in the ceiling. They were lowering down a crippled man on a mat. Jesus healed him and forgave him. That man was carried in but he WALKED out. I wasn’t the same when I left that house either.
All day as I worked in my tax booth I thought about what Jesus said. I sat there, so deep in my own thoughts that I didn’t even see the crowd that had gathered. I looked up and there HE WAS! Jesus was looking right at me. He was only a few feet away from me, looking me straight in the eyes “Follow me”. Without a moments hesitation I stood up and followed Him. I walked away from my tax booth, left the money right there, on the table. I left behind the things I thought were so important and walked away. I left it all behind and I followed Jesus.
He is calling you too. He is calling you to leave behind that controlling sin that you just can’t let go of on your own. He gave me the strength to follow Him. He can do the same for you, he HAS done the same for you. Can you hear Him calling?