November 30, 2018

Gospel: Mt 4:18-22
As Jesus walked by the lake of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. He said to them, “Come, follow me; and I will make you fish for people.” At once they left their nets and followed him. He went on from there and saw two other brothers, James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John, in a boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets. Jesus called them. At once, they left the boat, and their father, and followed him.

Reflections
Jesus began to choose disciples to participate with Him in proclaiming the Kingdom of God and sharing God’s love and compassion with everyone. Jesus chose these men and changed their life-directions. He chose these unschooled, unsophisticated and simple fishermen to be His change agents in the world. Jesus did not call the qualified, the smart and the perfect. All he wanted from them was their readiness and willingness to be initiated and formed by his way of life. He took them as they were and patiently took them to unlearn their old ways and begin to learn what it meant to serve others without lording over them. The process was not easy and at the end, they even betrayed and abandoned him. He never gave up on them. He believed in them until the end. Jesus chooses ordinary people, like you and me, to be his followers. By His grace and mercy, he invites all to trust in Him and be his witnesses of his caring presence in the world; to believe in the truth of his word and deeds in spite of opposition and indifference to his counter-cultural values; to serve him through our loving service to those around us and to faithfully and joyfully follow wherever He leads us. Through the life-giving words and deeds of Jesus, God invites us to be his own messengers to the world today. If we respond freely to his call, God makes us his partners and grants to each of us, disciples, the compassion, power, courage, strength and joy to be “fishers of men and women today!” If we respond to him like the early disciples, he will remain faithful to us until the end.

© Copyright Bible Diary 2018