St Matthew's Day Reflection

Who me?
You want me to follow you?
You must have got it wrong.
I can see you're a good person,
- not like some hypocrites. 
You need someone better than me. 

Who me?
Don't you know who I am?
I'm a traitor.
I work for the enemy occupiers.
I handle their dirty money.
You need someone better than me.

Who me?
You know I steal from our people.
I call it commission but I cheat.
I make people poorer by extortion.
I'm a despised tax-collector.
You need someone better than me.

Who me?
I'm a sinner - the lowest of the low.
You can't want me to be your disciple.
What me? Really?
You are calling me?
You need someone just like me?

****************************

The detail from Caravaggio's painting of the calling of St Matthew
says it all - the unexpectedness of the call, the sense of unworthiness, of the reaching of a pivotal moment, the dawning realization as the light shines on Matthew, a hand beckons and a voice invites,

"Follow me".

As I wrote in a St Matthew's day post last year

"Jesus was not as choosy about the company he kept as we are."

 And he still seems to call the most unlikely people.

Image Credit: wikimedia commons