Jesus showed we can all serve

One of the things that I believe holds people back from serving God is a feeling of inadequacy. A feeling that they are unworthy to serve God. Perhaps they have done something in their past that convinces them they are unworthy to step out and do a job He needs done. Whatever the reason, feelings of inadequacy are a major weapon Satan uses to stymie the spreading of the Gospel.

However, as the Bible shows us over and over again, God does not choose people for important roles based on their past mistakes, but based on the potential in their heart. Throughout the Bible, we see examples of how God chose people who seemed like unlikely choices. Fortunately for us, God has a lot more open mind than we usually do.

There are numerous examples of this. The story of how Jesus called Matthew to join His ministry is especially interesting. Matthew (also known as Levi) was someone who was near the bottom of the social order during Jesus’ day. However, Jesus saw his potential and the fact that it upset the established order did not cause Him to sway. Jesus did not see who Matthew was but what he could become.

When Jesus called Matthew to service, Matthew worked as a publican, which we would call a tax collector today. Though there is nothing recorded that showed Matthew was dishonest, his profession was well known for being crooked. Today, we all know plenty of IRS jokes, but during this time, tax collectors actively shook down people for extra kickbacks on top of the taxes they collected for Rome. The Roman Empire ruled Judea at this time. In this situation, people were helpless because if a person did not give the tax collector a little extra money that he could pocket, the collector would report them to Roman authorities. It is no surprise that people viewed tax collectors with such scorn.

Additionally, Matthew was Jewish, which intensified the Jewish culture’s scorn toward him. So not only did he work as a representative for the Roman government, but he was also a member of the same faith of those who the Romans oppressed. For example, if another country invaded and occupied the United States, how would you view your next door neighbor if he joined the new government and worked with them to make your life worse? It’s the same principle. Jewish society viewed Matthew as a turncoat who joined the enemy.

However, in Mark 2:14, Jesus said, "Follow me," and Matthew did. The fact that Jesus wanted Matthew to help Him was scandalous in most parts of the Jewish culture. This was further compounded when Matthew asked Jesus to dine with him and his friends at his home. This meant Jesus had not only asked a person of poor standing to join Him, but He was now going to dine with a group of them. Socializing with them had Jewish leaders up in arms.

In Mark 2:16, the Pharisees (leaders in the Jewish culture) openly questioned Jesus’ character and asked Him why he was doing this. Jesus responded in Mark 2:17: "They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."

Any past illegal actions committed by the tax collectors who dined with Jesus could not be changed. Anything we may have done in our past cannot be changed. The past is the past. However, God can use anything in our past for good if we let Him. Sometimes our life experiences can make us more qualified to do a good work for God simply because that experience provides us with a point of view that most people may not have. Matthew had the ability to help spread the Gospel to those in his social circle because of his past. His past became a tool to reach people in ways they only understood.

If you feel like God is reaching out to you to work on His behalf, do not let the past be a stumbling block. We all carry the baggage of past hurts, and it is difficult to deal with those sometimes. However, remember that God has a purpose, and if He is leading you somewhere, always remember that he will never dessert you. Perhaps your past provides you insight that will allow God to reach somebody through you.

The bottom line is tomorrow is always a day of new beginnings. We can use experiences that hinder us for good or for bad. It is always difficult to take that first step, but remember, you are not alone.

Resource material: The Holy Bible; 'Love in Action: The Gospel of Mark' by the David C. Cooke Ministries; 'The Glorious Journey' by Charles Stanley