The gospel reading at church this morning was Matthew 4:12-25. It is the story of Jesus calling his first disciples and preaching in the synagogs in Galilee. After the reading, but before the deacon began his homily, I leaned over to my dad and whispered, "He is set up for the perfect homily." However, the deacon surprised me and spoke about how the line, "they were fishermen," was a separate statement; its own individual idea. He spoke about how Jesus called these men, who had a regular lifestyle, to come and witness His miracles and hear His words. It was a wonderful homily!
When I first heard the passage, it immediately resonated with me. I interpreted the passage differently then the deacon. Jesus calling Simon Peter and Andrew is just like the way in which Jesus calls you and me. We go about our daily activities and, at moments we least expect, Jesus calls upon us. It can be on the way to the grocery store, in class, at work, wherever; Jesus calls us and expects us to listen, to follow Him. Instead of fishing nets, we hold cell phones, computers, commutes from work and school, children, boyfriends and girlfriends, even spouses. Jesus is before all of those worldly things though. When He calls, He wants us to drop our security nets--whether that be a job or a literal net like in the passage--and trust in Him. He will lead us to His word.
The passage is an amazing reminder that our worldly lives are cluttered. There is so much "stuff" that weighs down our lives on earth, that it's hard not to become consumed by it all. We must look past this "stuff", drop it, and follow Christ. Only then will our lives feel full and enriched. When we let go of our nets and fall into step with Christ will be find fulfillment, joy, and peace.
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