Jesus is Calling

As he walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea—for they were fishermen. ¹⁹And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fish for people.” ²⁰Immediately they left their nets and followed him. Matthew 4:18-21

I have always been struck by the immediacy of the disciples following Jesus. They did not ask questions or hesitate, they immediately left their nets and followed. The disciples left their jobs, their relationships, and their homes to follow someone they had never even met before. Their immediate response leads me to think two things: they had great faith and Jesus gave a powerful invitation.

The amount of trust the disciples had in Jesus is hard to comprehend. I would probably need a lot more explanation from Jesus to leave everything behind, and even then I would most likely cling to my own life than follow Jesus blindly. I suppose this is why he chose them. He knew their hearts and their readiness to say "yes" to God's call. What we don't know is what their lives were like before they met Jesus. Perhaps they had a series of dreams or visions from God to prepare their hearts. Or perhaps they had someone encourage them to think of how they could serve God and others. Like the disciples, we all are called by Jesus to be disciples. Each call is different and we are all prepared by our life experience to pursue this call in our own way. We must remain open to God's call in our life and be prepared to say "yes" when the opportunity comes.

The other aspect of this story that strikes me is the power of Jesus' invitation. Jesus doesn't have to say much to cause such a powerful response. He doesn't outline their mission, or detail the benefits of becoming a disciple, or what they will do, where they will go, and for how long. Jesus invites them to follow and they do. It defies human reason and logic to simply walk away under such conditions. Perhaps it is not what Jesus said that matters, but Jesus himself. Jesus, as God incarnate, had a powerful presence that affected the people he met. Perhaps Jesus didn't even need to say anything to cause such a response. He could have simply looked into their hearts and offered a welcoming and loving glance or embrace. When we are in the presence of God we don't need explanations or logic, we simply need an open heart.

The disciples were chosen for their openness and trust, and when given the opportunity they responded to Jesus' powerful invitation. May we remain open and ready to trust God on our journey.

Prayer: Lord, help me to see your presence in my life; help me to remain open to your call; help me to say "yes" when you call me; help me to have the strength and courage to follow you. In Jesus, name, AMEN.