“Then they abandoned their nets and followed him”
Jesus calls everyone in this Sunday’s Gospel reading. He then turns His attention to four specific individuals; Peter, Andrew, James, and John. All four men left their work and immediately followed Jesus without any hesitation. “Those fishermen immediately left everything in order to follow the Master…We see each one of the Apostles doing the same when Christ seeks him out in his own particular circumstances.” [1]
Why did they follow Jesus? We know from last Sunday that Andrew and Peter had already heard of Jesus. Now Jesus came to them personally and asked them to follow. He came right to them at their job. He then used the simile of being “fishers of men” to help them understand what their new mission would be for the rest of their lives.
Many of the things that Simon brings up in this talk reflect why Jesus is the ultimate leader and why we follow the Catholic Church. We follow the Church not because of the Pope but because of Christ who called the first Pope, Peter, and the first Bishops, the Apostles. Peter, Andrew, James, and John were called by Christ to follow Him. They were taught how to be leaders by the perfect leader. Jesus is the epitome of every characteristic that Simon describes as the perfect leader. We feel safe in the Catholic Church not because of anything worldly, but because we know it to be the fullness of truth. We feel safe because we know that God is the one who protects us whenever He calls us. We do not hesitate to follow because Jesus has shown us the way.
Why did Jesus choose these men to follow Him? Jesus chose men who would show the world that the kingdom of God is now for both Jews and Gentiles. He chose everyday working men who were not professionally trained in Scripture or the Law of God. Jesus did this to show that we are all called and can learn and understand God. We can all follow Him as the Apostles did.
What can we learn from the Apostles? We can learn by their actions. There are no words recorded from the four Apostles. The immediate abandonment of all they knew to follow Jesus is something that is shocking even today. “Such an abrupt break with family and livelihood was extraordinary then as now. The impulse to abandon everything and follow Jesus highlights the surpassing excellence of Christian discipleship over every worldly pursuit.” [2] They left their work, fathers, families, and homes for Jesus Christ. They did it immediately. There was no hesitation. We also see this with Saint Joseph when God told him to take Mary and go to Egypt. Joseph did not hesitate and went immediately. Peter, Andrew, James, and John show us that when we are personally called by Jesus, we must follow Him.
Why must we not hesitate when being called by God? If we hesitate we can miss out on something amazing. Following Christ is the best thing that we could ever do. Every person that falls in love and follows Christ only complain that they did not do it sooner! When we hesitate to follow Christ, all we do is hurt ourselves.
This video is of a man who did not hesitate to help. He acted immediately and without question. He did not know these people and yet he wanted to help. Imagine if the man did not step in and help the child. Thankfully he did not hesitate and jumped into action to save this child.
Why do people hesitate to follow Christ? There are many reasons why people hesitate to follow Christ. The biggest reason has to be fear. It could be fear of the road that lies ahead or fear of how much it will cost in order to follow Him.
What must we be ready to do if we follow Jesus? We must be ready to let go of everything that could bog us down. The Apostles left everything to follow Jesus and when He calls us we must do the same. We may not be asked to leave our families or our work, but He will ask us to let go of our sins. “If we are to follow Christ, our soul has to be free from any attachments: from love of self in the first place; from an excessive concern for our health or for the future…from riches and material goods. When the heart is set upon and filled with concern for earthly goods, there is no room in it for God. God will ask of some people an absolute renunciation, so that they can be completely at his disposal. He asked this of the Apostles; He asked it of the rich young man, as He has done of so many men and women throughout the centuries. [3]
Count the Cost by Fr. Pontifex Pay close attention to the second verse. Many say they follow Christ, but just lip service and occasional “head nods” are not enough. We know that when we start down the road of following Christ it ultimately leads to the cross. “Your cross, your call it’s something specific for you to do and without a deep yes and action it’s ‘I never knew you.’…His eyes indeed look for yours and mine, allow him to find you.”
Discussion questions
How can we follow Christ without hesitation?
How can we help others follow Christ immediately?
[1] Fernandez, In Conversation with God. 3, 17.1
[2] Ignatius Catholic Study Bible, pg. 66
[3] In Conversation with God. 3, 17.1