In Alcoholics Anonymous, they often speak of two kinds of conversions on the journey from addiction to sobriety: the “Educational Variety” and the dramatic “Road to Damascus” type.
But perhaps the most powerful conversion is found in today’s Gospel (Matthew 9:9–13, July 4th, Year I)—the calling of Matthew. He had become a tax collector, likely driven by selfishness and a lust for wealth. He was hated by his own people, and one can imagine him sitting at his post, silently begging God to free him from his “bondage to self.” Then Jesus passed by and simply said, “Follow me.” And immediately Matthew rose up and left his old self behind. No deliberation. No delay. Now that is a conversion.
We live are lives chasing after whatever pleases our senses. It can take the form of things like—lust for money, lust for food, lust for success, lust for stuff. It’s all just lust for feeling happy. But “feeling happy” is fleeting. That’s why we get stuck feeding it, again and again (if you need to, you can add one or two more “and again” just to drive it home).
Christ offers something far greater. He says to each of us “Follow me,” giving each of us a chance to relieve ourselves of the bondage to self and the constant search for fleeting happiness so that we can have lasting “supreme happiness” (Beatitude)
Lord Jesus Christ help me to hear and accept your “follow me.”