In the call of the first disciples, this invitation was uttered personally by Jesus to his prospects. Come follow me! An invitation to live a life that is far more virtuous than the ordinary human existence. This call is so easy to understand and so easy to respond to, but it is not that easy if we are to be serious in taking the call by heart. The first disciples responded instantaneously without much thought about what they were getting into. Maybe they thought that they will be alleviated from the rigors of life as fishermen. They were normal human beings and so it is understandable if they wished for improvement in their situation. And so, they followed Jesus and they answered yes to His invitation.
God, in His infinite wisdom, did not choose the learned people and those who were knowledgeable about the law. Instead, he chose ordinary people from the periphery of the society and entrusted to them the future of His Church. They were not wise and were nothing in the society where they belong. But Christ was so eager to pick them up from among the many who were educated and who can surpass these fishermen in all aspects of human life.
In our present situation, many of those who go to the church and seek refuge in prayers are the lowly ones. These people are not learned, and they are not even elegantly dressed when they come to the church. But even in their unfortunate situation, they have that strong faith and so they continue to shower God with their petitions knowing in their hearts that Jesus is the God of Love and He will answer all their prayers.
In the olden times, a priest assigned in a remote area is likened to a superman. He is the expert in all trades. When a parishioner loses his sanity, they bring him to the priest for some counselling. When a couple quarrel, and wish each other dead, most often than not, they seek the guidance of the pastor in order to save the marriage and guarantee the future of the children. Sometimes, even the mechanical works like repairs of motorized boats and motorcycles are entrusted to the priest. I experienced this because I love to fix machines. If the people around the convent run out of money, they go to the priest because they have the false belief that the priest is like a community bank. The only difference is that, with the priest, they withdraw and never deposit, they borrow and never pay.
When the world was simpler then, most people seek the help of God in battling their sufferings, pains, problems, and frustrations in life. God must be present in their lives if there is a threat of a calamity approaching, or an epidemic that is claiming the lives of the children. Warriors during the Old Testament times would seek the blessing of Yahweh in order to conquer the enemy and bring home the spoils of war.
Now, God has been set aside because we trust our abilities and talents too much. Why go to church when you already have all that you will ever need to live a convenient and luxurious life? Armies of today do not need God’s blessing for as long as they are superior in the race for the nuclear power. Married couples no longer seek the pastor’s advice because both parties, the spouses, have somebody else to turn back to, a crying shoulder in the civilized language. And of course, if people run out of money, they would not even think of going to the priest because they know that the priest went bankrupt much earlier than when they put away their last penny.
After all has been said and done, after all the display of our technological advancement, still God is calling us to follow Him. We had reached the peak excellence in science and technology but, as these areas continue to develop, our morality is also continuing to break apart.
God is calling each and every one of us but we just can’t hear His voice because we are so occupied with our worldly affairs. Those lowly ones whom the world has never recognized are the ones who have the capacity to listen to this invitation to follow Him.
Maybe, in the call of the first disciples, it was not only intended for those fishermen but also to all who were following Him and listening to His words of wisdom. Only twelve lowly fishermen, however, had the courage to give their answer because they were the only ones who were free from the slavery to the worldly pleasures. They were not learned nor educated but they have unwavering faith. The requirement is the faith and not wisdom.
Come Follow Me! An invitation for you and me, an invitation which compels us to take an action and that action must be a positive one because Christ wants us to be where He is, and He wants us to follow Him just like when He followed the will of the Father because of faith. May God give us enough courage to be able to follow Him more closely and radically turn away from the evil one.