This passage sets a very high bar for all of us. To ask anyone to give up everything they know and love to follow an unknown man, Jesus, is a lot to ask. But to do so, as these men did…, to simply respond to Jesus’ call, seems unbelievable. The Father in heaven and the holy spirit must have supplied them with so much grace that the decision must have been clear as a green traffic light. But it is still amazing to me 2000 years later.
For more context though, and to help you understand how dramatic this scene actually is, I want to explain the culture in the jewish community, at this time. A young jewish man was expected to help his father in the family trade, and eventually, one day take it over completely. There was only one acceptable reason to leave the family trade or business, and that was if you were instead going to the temple, to study the torah under the Pharisees, and maybe someday become a Rabbi. Any other reason would be considered abandoning your family for selfish reasons. And dont be fooled, that is exactly what these men were doing in todays reading, and it was truly dramatic. I think John Bergsma sums it up nicely… “They gave up their profession (“nets”) and family relationships (“father”) to follow Jesus.”
We moderns, with lens of history can look back on this moment and we can tell that these men were leaving their families and their professions for an even higher reason than studying the torah. They were leaving to study under the great High Priest, the Messiah, the Son of God, Jesus Chirst, and they were leaving so that they could eventually be the new priests and bishops of the new church that Jesus would create. But these men, at that time, did not know that, they simply trusted in the man Jesus, and their faith carried them to the end.
We are all called to do the same. You are probably not being called give up “everything”, and become like St. Francis, but you are being called. Further, I do not believe that Jesus is saying here, that family or work are necessarily bad…, but He is very clearly saying that the things of this world cannot take precedence in your life, over God. But regardless of the extent to which Jesus is calling you, there is no doubt that Jesus is calling you to something higher, and He is looking to you to respond in a way that will ultimately bring glory to His Kingdom in Heaven.
So you need to set down your nets, and you need to take a moment and listen for what Jesus is calling you to do, and when you hear that call you must put everything else aside and respond. Your present life, your ultimate happiness, and your eternity in heaven with God depend on the choice you make. So choose wisely.
