In the Gospel reading on Sunday (from the Gospel of Matthew) we hear Jesus calling the first apostles. These were fishermen: Simon and Andrew, James and John. I am always struck by the unquestioning way in which these men left behind the life that they had known and chose to follow Jesus. In the Gospel account Jesus invited them to follow him and ‘Immediately they left their nets and followed him’; ‘Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.’ There was no hesitation and no argument. There were not even any questions. They simply trusted Jesus.
Last week I quoted from the prophet Isaiah, ‘You are precious in my eyes, and honoured, and I love you.’ Just three verses earlier Isaiah had recorded the words of the LORD: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.” (Isaiah 43:1)
The words from Isaiah are a reminder that while the Gospels tell us of the calling of the first apostles, each called by name, we are all called by God, by name. We are all invited to put our trust in the God who knows us by our name and to respond like those first apostles did, with confidence, with immediacy and with a positive ‘yes.’
