Second Sunday of Pentecost
The Lord's Calling of the First Disciples
By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko
The Lord's Calling of the First Disciples
By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko
Upon seeing two young brothers – Simon, called Peter, and Andrew, casting nets into the sea, the Savior, almost in passing, said to them: "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men" (Matthew 4:19). The brothers did not inquire of their Divine Master – who He was, what authority commanded them, or where He would lead them; rather, they immediately left their nets and followed the Savior. As He walked further with them, Jesus Christ saw two more brothers – James and John, sitting with their father Zebedee in a boat, mending their nets. The Son of God, who perceives the hearts and innermost beings of men, called these young men as well; and they immediately responded with complete readiness to the calling voice: they left their father, the boat, and the nets and went after Jesus.
This is the Gospel story of the calling to the apostolic ministry of the first disciples of the Savior. How simple and straightforward it is, yet how instructive for us Christians! "Behold," says Saint John Chrysostom, "what faith and obedience were shown by those who were called. All four of these individuals were not wealthy; they earned their livelihoods through fishing and were engaged in their work at the moment the Savior passed by. However, as soon as they heard the call of the Savior, they did not hesitate, did not postpone it for another time, nor did they say: let us go home and consult with our relatives, but leaving everything, they immediately followed Him."
Is not every one of us who confesses God and Christ called from the day of our baptism to follow Christ? Should not each of us strive for heavenly glory, in the example of the apostles of Christ, following the holy servants of God, venerated by the Holy Church? Indeed, we do not hear the call of the Savior Himself, as was the case with the apostles Peter and Andrew. Yet, to those destined to catch the universe and gather the flock of Christ from among the people, such honor was granted.
For us, it is entirely sufficient to rely on the call that we hear in the words and speeches of the Savior transmitted to us by the apostles. Whoever listens to the reading of the Gospel in the house of God should do so as if Jesus Christ Himself is speaking. It is essential to remember that in the church, the Lord is always invisibly present among us according to His unchangeable promise: "For where two or three are gathered in My name, there am I in the midst of them" (Matt. 18:20). Here, in the house of God, the Divine voice of Christ is heard in everything: in the sacred actions performed before our eyes, in the reading of the Divine Scriptures, in the singing of the soul-stirring church hymns, and in the contemplation of the holy icons. All of this speaks to our hearts, urging us to forsake our attachment to worldly vanity, to cling to Christ, and to follow Him unwaveringly, fulfilling His holy will.
How do we respond to the call of Christ the Savior that is directed towards us? Do we follow Him, our Redeemer, as hastily and resolutely as the apostles Peter, Andrew, James, and John? Most of us, contemporary Christians, indeed accept the divine call to salvation with emotion and humility, yet we postpone the implementation of the salvific counsel from hour to hour, from year to year, to an indeterminate time. Worldly pleasures, earthly needs, and sinful habits so attach our hearts to themselves that we often seem to completely forget the law of Christ, "For the good that I would, I do not; but the evil which I would not, that I do." How often, due to some trivial and insignificant matter, many decide to neglect even the divine service, and sometimes even wrong their neighbor. Reflecting on all this, let us strive to take care of amending our lives, leaving aside our usual laziness and neglect in the matter of salvation, and endeavor to pave a path for ourselves to the honors of the higher calling in Christ Jesus. "The Lord desires that all men be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth" (1 Tim. 2:4). He stands at the door of each of our hearts and knocks, and if anyone hears His voice and opens the door, He will come in and dine with him (cf. Rev. 3:20).
What else can the sudden misfortunes that befall us in this life, the terrifying natural phenomena that occur at times, the unexpected mercies, or the pangs of our conscience signify, if not a divine call to repentance? Therefore, if anyone hears such a call, whether within themselves or from an external source, and if someone is inspired with the thought of starting to "live according to God," let them immediately put this thought into action. Let them not delay their holy resolve for any pretext, nor for a single day or hour, but, leaving behind all distractions, let them follow Christ. Do not say: "I will live for a year for the sake of the world, I will arrange my affairs, and then I will begin to please God." No, just as Simon and Andrew acted upon hearing the Savior's call, so too must we act. They did not even gather their nets, but simply cast them aside; in the same way, we must promptly part with everything that hinders our path to salvation and renounce worldly ties and pleasures.
Source: From the book The Simple Gospel Word: Stories and Reflections from the Gospel Readings on Sundays and Feasts, 1890. Translated by John Sanidopoulos.
