3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time - Disciples

“As [Jesus] was walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon who is called Peter, and his brother Andrew, casting a net into the sea; they were fishermen. He said to them, ‘Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.’ At once they left their nets and followed him. He walked along from there and saw two other brothers, James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John. They were in a boat, with their father Zebedee, mending their nets. He called them, and immediately they left their boat and their father and followed him. He went around all of Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and curing every disease and illness among the people” (Matthew 4:18-23).
 
Because the kingdom of heaven has come near, Jesus invites some fishermen to follow him. They immediately leave behind nets, boat, and father, and follow Jesus. Just like that, Jesus has four companions in ministry.
 
Although he can be, Jesus is never a one-man show. The first executive decision he makes is to call a community into existence around the Word of God that he preaches.
 
God always calls a people and enters into a covenant with “us.” So around Jesus “we” are formed. We have to change to become part of this new people. We have to leave some things behind in order to embrace our new identity and purpose. There is perhaps something symbolic in what the four new disciples collectively leave behind: nets, boat, and father.
 
Nets capture, contain, and limit and give us a sense of control. The boat represents our ability to come and go as we please, to be independent and free. And a father may be the stories and traditions that give us our identities.
 
Nets and boats and fathers are essential to meet our needs for control and opportunity and roots. But when Jesus comes and proclaims the transforming kingdom of God, we will have to give up some of those things in order to be embraced by this new reality. Perhaps we leave nets and boats and fathers to have them given back to us again. We will still be in the family fishing business. Only what we fish for will change.
 
- What things do we have to give up and walk away from in order to approach and possess them anew? What will you do?
 
Adapted from PrayerTime: Faith-Sharing Reflections on the Sunday Gospels, available at the RENEW International store