Readings: Romans 10:9-18; Psalm 49; Matthew 4:18-22
What a wonderful message! The first line of today’s reading from Paul’s letter to the Romans says, “If you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” Then he explains that, as long as we have faith, God’s kingdom is open to everyone.
Today’s Gospel from Matthew emphasizes the importance of being open to God’s invitation to follow. We hear about the call of Simon (Peter) and Andrew, James and John. Jesus is walking along the Sea of Galilee and sees Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the sea. Jesus invites them to follow him: “Follow me, and I will make you “fishers of people.” He continues walking and sees two other brothers, James and John, in a boat with their father mending their nets. Jesus called them as well: “They left the boat and their father, and followed Jesus.”
What compelled them to drop everything (their relationships, family, job) to follow this teacher whom they knew little to nothing about. Imagine the amount of faith it would take to do the same, and we begin to see how hard it is, at times, to accept the invitation to hear and then to follow Jesus. When we reflect on our own lives, how difficult would it be for us to drop everything including family, friends, job, to follow Jesus? Maybe it’s just a rationalization, but I don’t think we are being asked or are expected to leave those things behind. But I do think we are being asked to consider what we need to leave behind in order to better hear and then follow God’s word. These could be possessions – the bigger house, the newer car, more of this or more of that, but I also think about the value of leaving behind grudges, resentment, jealousy, anger, – addictions or anything that impedes our ability to hear God’s word and to follow Him.
Take a moment, please: let’s close our eyes, take a deep breath, clear our heads: reflect on what we can “leave behind” in order to improve our ability to hear the word of God, enhance our faith, and better follow the example that Jesus sets.