Readings
Genesis 8:1 - 10:32
Matthew 4: 12-25
Psalm 4: 1-8
Proverbs 1: 20-23
Matthew reading: "Jesus called out to them, 'Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people'". Whenever I read any of the accounts of Jesus calling the first disciples, the responses always seem automatic - Jesus calls, and the response is to follow. Yet I've always wondered: Did everyone that Jesus called respond in the affirmative? Somehow I doubt it - that's just not human nature.
There surely must have been those who responded to Jesus' call in the negative. "Thanks, but no thanks - that's not for me". Perhaps this was because they didn't know Jesus? Or maybe they did not trust him enough? Or perhaps the life of Jesus and his followers, being itinerant in nature, was too tough for some? Maybe life as the status quo was too comfortable for some, or perhaps some felt that they would be giving up too much? Or what would their friends and family think about their choice, if they decide to respond to Jesus' call?
What about us today? What excuses do we have for not wanting to respond to the call to follow Jesus? And in what ways do we prevent the Kingdom of Heaven from becoming a reality in our lives, and in the lives of others, because of our reticence? May this passage be a challenge to us today. When Jesus calls, what will our response be?
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