“Follow me.” That was Jesus simple call to the tax collector, Matthew (Matt. 9:9). And Matthew immediately got up and followed Jesus. In youth ministry, we are in the disciple-making business. And no greater model of disciple-making exists–especially for those of us in the small church–than the model of Jesus. So, here are some thoughts on the lessons from Jesus’ call to Matthew.

1. Jesus did not choose disciples because they would have great influence on the people he was preaching to. Matthew would have been despised by most Jews who knew him. He was a collaborator with the Romans at best and a thief at worst. Jesus’ relationship with Matthew almost immediately got him into a conflict with the local religious leaders. Still, Jesus chose Matthew.Investing in students who are well-liked is easy. Discipling some students may earn you the disapproval of the church leaders and parents of other students. Our job is not to find the kids who will make our ministries look good. It is to find those Jesus is calling to a life of devotion to him.
2. Jesus didn’t call Matthew to study his curriculum or join his organization. He called him to “follow.” Curriculum is a useful tool in discipleship and affiliating with Christian organizations is usually a positive thing. But we can’t lose sight of the real call to discipleship. Kids don’t become disciples because they show up at church events. (Notice how many drop out after a few years.) Discipleship is still about the call to Matthew, a call to follow Jesus.
3. Jesus immediately involved himself in the social circles of his new disciple. In verse 9, Matthew follows Christ. In verse 10, Jesus is eating with his friends. I think that must be significant. Youth ministry does mean assimilation . . . helping teenagers to find a place in your group. But it also means investment of you and others in the ministry in loving and caring for those a new teenagers loves: family and friends.