Do you remember the game “follow the leader?” The idea was to imitate the leader in whatever he chose to do. When Jesus called Peter, Andrew, James, and John to follow Him, the transition was not that difficult to grasp. They went from fishers of fish to fishers of men. But what about Matthew?

There are three tax collectors mentioned in the Bible: Zacchaeus, Matthew, and one unnamed. Tax collectors were not Romans; Rome hired them from among the citizens of a given area. The previously mentioned people were Jews. Rome determined the tax for each person, but the tax collector was free to charge as much as he wanted. In the case of Zacchaeus, he became a wealthy man. We can surmise that Matthew did the same. The series, “The Chosen,” shows what Matthew’s life could have been like. Wealthy, but hated and seen as a traitor. His transition to following Jesus was very different from Peter’s, and the people had to wonder why Jesus would even want a person like Matthew to be a disciple.

Social media recently has been filled with abuses of ministers alleged to be adulterers, embezzlers, and other serious sins. The world loves it when a Christian makes a mistake, and they act like all Christians are the same. How we live, the way we conduct ourselves when it comes to finances, is a definite part of our Christian testimony. I recently read a post from a minister I know who was advocating an unethical financial practice. The world is watching.

Some try to dismiss their shady business dealings by saying, “That’s how everybody else does it. You have to do that to make a living in the 21st century.” I seriously doubt that explanation will hold up at the judgment.

If Jesus is our leader, and He should be, then following the leader means we do everything within our power to be like Him. We sometimes try to pass it off by saying, “That’s just the way I am.” Every time I hear someone say that, I respond, “But Jesus came to change the way you am.” I pray that each of us will do our best to be imitators of Jesus in every area of our lives.