14-Jan-19

Gospel MK 1:14-20
After John had been arrested,
Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the Gospel of God:
"This is the time of fulfillment.
The Kingdom of God is at hand.
Repent, and believe in the Gospel."
As he passed by the Sea of Galilee,
he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting their nets into the sea;
they were fishermen.
Jesus said to them,
"Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men."
Then they left their nets and followed him.
He walked along a little farther
and saw James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John.
They too were in a boat mending their nets.
Then he called them.
So they left their father Zebedee in the boat
along with the hired men and followed him.
Reflection:
After John had been arrested,
Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the Gospel of God:
"This is the time of fulfillment.
The Kingdom of God is at hand.
Repent, and believe in the Gospel."
With John the Baptist arrested, Jesus began His ministry of spreading the "Good News" of God's love for His people. He did not reach out to the elite, the educated or the religious of His time.
As he passed by the Sea of Galilee,
he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting their nets into the sea;
they were fishermen.
Jesus said to them,
"Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men."
I do not agree with the old saying, "God does not chose the qualified. He qualifies those whom He chooses." To me, this implies that God is selective. Jesus is not selective; He does not choose one person over another.
Jesus is all inclusive and He understands the power, strength and potential of every man and woman. Jesus does not choose the qualified. Rather, He qualifies those who make themselves available to Him.
Jesus reached out and extended "an invitation" to simple, uneducated fishermen to follow Him. Accepting His invitation, they made themselves available and left everything behind. Over a period of three years, He qualified them to become the leaders of the Christian Church on earth.
"Here I stand knocking at the door. If anyone opens, I will come in and dine with him." Revelations: 3-20.
There is a famous picture of Jesus knocking at a door that has no handle on the outside. The message is clear: The door represents your heart and it can only be opened from the inside.
Jesus does not force His way into our lives. But, as He did with Simon (Peter) and his brother Andrew, Jesus is always extending an invitation to us to follow Him.
In a world filled with violence, strife and turmoil, Jesus' invitation to follow Him is always accompanied by His promise of peace of heart and mind.
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"Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matthew 11: 28-30