Higher and Deeper

Jesus is calling.

In Matthew 1o, we see Jesus calling the 12 disciples. Actually, this is a little different spin on calling the disciples than the other Gospels. It appears Jesus has already chosen his 12, now he is giving them instructions, and Matthew just uses this opportunity to name the 12.

Think about this as Jesus called his disciples to himself by name. Jesus is calling you by name too. It doesn’t stop there though.

Jesus doesn’t just call us by name to sit by his side, be in his presence, safe in his arms. Jesus calls us to be sent out. Matthew 10 is not about the calling of the disciples TO Jesus (interestingly, the other Gospels describe this as being called to him), this passage is about the disciples being called to be sent out FROM Jesus.

Why? Why are we to be sent out from Jesus?

Matthew 10:8 sums it up perfectly with this little phrase,

“Give freely as you have received!”

You and I have received so much from Jesus. We owe him our success. We owe him our health. We owe him our family. We owe him our jobs. We owe him our finances.

Out of this blessing, Jesus asks us to bless.

All Sons & Daughters

While studying and reading these few chapters in Matthew, I have been listening to an album by the band All Sons & Daughters.

They are a fairly new band to me, so I’m still learning their songs. As I contemplated Matthew 10:8, the song “Called Me Higher” caught my attention. I stopped to look up the lyrics, which start like this:

I could just sit
I could just sit and wait for all Your goodness
Hope to feel Your presence
And I could just stay
I could just stay right where I am and hope to feel You
Hope to feel something again

And I could hold on
I could hold on to who I am and never let You
Change me from the inside
And I could be safe
I could be safe here in Your arms and never leave home
Never let these walls down

But You have called me higher
You have called me deeper
And I’ll go where You will lead me Lord
You have called me higher
You have called me deeper
And I’ll go where You lead me Lord
Where You lead me
Where You lead me Lord

Looking for the song on YouTube to share with you, I came across an interview with Leslie Jordan, one of the primary leaders of the band. One of the leaders, Leslie Jordan shared how the song became real to her (after writing it!).

Listening to different demo versions, she imagined her fellow church members actually acting this song out – going and doing. She imagined them being called to higher and deeper things.

Leslie was imaging what Jesus spoke, her church giving freely.

Not all of us have the finances to give as freely as we would like, but all of us have the ability to give Jesus. I’m reminded of what Peter and John told the lame man at the Temple in the book of Acts,

“Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.”

What do you have to give?

Jesus is calling us not just to him, but to go out and bless. He has called us higher and deeper.

Will you go where He leads you?