What would it take for you and I to leave everything behind and follow Jesus? That is the heart of the great question that this Sunday’s Gospel reading confronts us with. Let’s jump in our imaginary time machine and return to the shores of the Sea of Galilee where the drama unfolds. It’s probably a sunny day, warm and breezy. It’s a t-shirt and shorts kind of day. The rays of the high sun glisten off the calm waters into our eyes, we have winch our eyes from time to time. Birds squawk in the distance, hoping for a free meal from the hard-working fishermen pulling in their nets from the day's catch. It’s a familiar day like so many. Unexpectedly, a stranger suddenly appears. This is where the Gospel passage begins, “Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men”, says the bearded man. Simon and his brother Andrew are confronted with a compelling mysterious choice. Do they follow this man whom they’ve never meant before? How can they possibly leave their livelihood behind? How will they make money, pay their bills? What about all the big plans they envisioned for their future? Millions of questions and fears must have passed their brains as they processed this strange request, from a perfect stranger. 

Here lies the juncture of our free-will and God’s. Part of being created in the “image and likeness of God” as Genesis tells us in chapter one, is precisely this gift. You and I have the ability to follow God’s plan or not. We have within us to rebel or acquiesce. The echo of the Fall of Adam and Eve is to always choose the former. The Devil enticed our first parents with ultimate freedom from God’s design and look how that turned out for humanity. Look at the bloody history of the world to behold the price of this “freedom”. 

Jesus has come to lead the world back to its original glory. The mind boggling part of it all is that he elicits our help. Yes, you and I, these mere ordinary people. To redeem broken, sinful humanity, he will recruit broken, sinful humans. This is where we now join the drama of salvation or not. Jesus looks at each of us as he did Simon and Andrew along that beautiful, shimmering Sea of Galilee, “Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.” What say you?