“Follow Me!”

“Follow Me!”(Mt.4:18-22).
We were on an interview panel. A common but tricky question which Rev Dr. I.S. Elangwe constantly asked the candidates was, “Who was the father of the sons of Zebedee?” Out of the twenty-two candidates only three got it right. Maybe you are still trying to figure it out but yet not getting it right.
Away from the humor, today’s text is about Jesus calling the first four disciples, according to the gospel of Matthew. As he walked beside the sea of Galilee he saw two fishermen brothers, Simon Peter and Andrew casting a net into the lake. Jesus said to them, “Come, follow me and I will make you fishers of men.” We are told that “at once they left their nets and followed him.”
A little further he saw two other brothers, James and John, who were sons of Zebedee. These two were in a boat with their father preparing their nets. “Jesus called them, and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.”
Simon Peter and Andrew were called with the promise of a new but different kind of job description. They will remain fishermen, but they will now be fishers of men and not fishers of fish. A commonality between the two calls is the immediacy of the response. There was no hesitation. However, the difference between the two calls shouts out. The sons of Zebedee were with their father. Jesus did not tell them why he wanted them to follow him. But as soon as he asked them to follow him, they did so immediately and without questioning.
From a human point of view we would say Zebedee’s children did not have respect for their father. Jesus does not disrupt the filial bond between parents and their children. The author probably wanted to highlight the compelling power in Jesus’ call! And that when we genuinely hear the Lord’s call, nothing else matters; not even our parents or proffession can cause us to resist his call!
Another lesson is that Jesus calls us from a workplace. Kingdom assignment is not for loafers. Jesus meets each one of us at our place of work and assigns us differently.
My friend, your neighborhood, your community etc is the sea full of human fish that Jesus is calling us to catch. May the Holy Spirit help us to identify what God in Christ wants us to do for him where we are, and when we know it, let us do it.
Prayer: Holy Spirit prompt us daily to respond to the ongoing call of the Lord to uncompleted assignments. Amen!
Have a blessed day! Peace be with you!
Rev Babila Fochang.
23/01/2025.