I have to say that when I read about Jesus first recruiting his disciples, I am full of questions, suspicion, and a sense of nervous inadequacy.  In other words, I pretty much look at this text and think about myself and what I know about humanity. The whole thing doesn't really sound plausible to me.

          First of all, Jesus is beginning a ministry where he is going to teach, heal, and proclaim good news about the kingdom of God.  Why on earth is he going down to the shore and picking out fishermen --- who aren't by the way even doing a very good job of that!  Jesus of course, did it backwards.  Someone who wanted to be a disciple, a student of a rabbi would go to that rabbi and basically apply, and after much consideration and basically screening, the rabbi would take them on, or not.  But no, Jesus doesn't go looking for bright scholars, or people obviously steeped in the tradition.  He doesn't go to the nearest synagogue or seminary, he doesn't even go into the local Starbucks where people of intellect would often sit around philosophizing about the issues of the day and what makes the world turn.  He does no interviewing, no background checks, he knows nothing about their family values or their church attendance.  He just sees Peter and Andrew throwing their nets into the sea and says, "Follow me, and I will make you fish for people."  And he goes from there and sees two more brothers James and John, also fishermen who are busy with their dad, mending their nets, and he calls them.  Are you serious?  You are going to try to bring in the kingdom of God and you are starting with four guys who fish for a living?  Don't you think you should get a task force, a nominating committee, or some sort of ministry team who could help you interview and find the best person for the job?  Shouldn't there at least be some sort of questionnaire or personality profile, some sort of prepare-to-call study that narrows the field a bit?  You have to wonder about this method of recruitment.

          And then, to cause even more suspicion, the four actually get up and go!  "Immediately," it says, immediately they left their nets and followed him.  Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.  Right.  Have you ever tried to get someone to help you with a project?  Have you tried to get more people to sign up for serving shelter meals or singing in the choir?  Have you tried to get someone to come and help build houses or work on the stewardship team?  NO ONE immediately does anything!  I can't believe these guys just up and left their livelihood, their families, their daily lives to follow a complete stranger who never even told them what they were going to do except fish for people, like that would make a lot of sense.  Why would they do that?  Why would they leave everything behind? Wouldn't you ask for some sort of identification, or at least ask where you might be going or what sort of time commitment would be involved?  Wouldn't you at least want to know what exactly this stranger was promoting, and figure out if in fact it was something in which you wanted to participate?  No.  He calls, they follow.

           Which of course leads me to the part about my own sense of nervous inadequacy --- I don't think I could have done it.  I don't think I could have looked up from my ordinary little life, and simply followed.  I am way too analytical, I would have wanted more information;  I would have wanted to know where we were going, and why.  Not only that.  I would have taken my responsibilities seriously.  I wouldn't have just left my family, or the livelihood they depended upon to go follow a perfect stranger.  I would have wanted to spend a little time saying good-bye to the rest of my life.  I would have been too afraid, too uncertain, too busy, and too suspicious.  Not only would I have been, I am.  And if I just can't fathom it, then it is just too ridiculous to take in.

          But what if it isn't a story about me, or even a story about four very brave, albeit clueless, fishermen?  What if it is a story about the power of God?  What if it is a story about God being able to make us into what he needs, or a story about a love that was so powerful that it drew like a magnet.  What if it's a story about a miracle?  You know how it is when you fall in love?  All logic goes out the window; you are captured by something that you can't even always explain.  God comes and draws us in. That is the power of the kingdom coming near.  The fishermen didn't stop to think about what they were leaving behind, they were immediately focused on what they were about to follow, on who they were about to follow.  God is doing something in this story--- God is creating something out of nothing, calling forth life in a new way, turning people in another direction.  God is seeking out those who have no special qualifications, and if God can do that with Simon and Andrew and James and John,  God can do that with you and me.  It isn't going to depend on me being brave enough or smart enough.  It isn't going to depend on me having the right credentials or the right background.  It is going to depend on the power of God claiming me and me simply allowing myself to let go and fall in love.

          And maybe that is a good definition of REPENT, the call that Jesus makes as he begins his ministry.  Repent, the kingdom of heaven has come near.  Repent, let go, trust that the one you have been searching for has already been searching for you. Repent, quit trying to resuscitate and let God actually raise you from the dead.  Repent, let God do what you cannot do for yourself, let God change you and make you new.  This is what God is able to do.  This is what God is ready to do, not just once in our lives, but every day.  Every day when we remember who we are and whose we are, every day when God brings us out of darkness into light, when God changes our mourning into dancing, or our despair into hope.  God can make followers out of us, that is the mystery of faith and the resurrection hope that we proclaim.

          When Jesus stood there that day, the four went toward new life, they saw Jesus and nothing was ever the same.  There was something so life-giving in what he was offering that there was no need to cling to what had been.  Following will look different for each one of us, the call of God will invite us and inspire us, and sometimes will nag us or cling to us like a frightened cat.  But make no mistake about it, calling us to new life is what God is all about.  God can make disciples out of each one of us. 

Amen