By Fr Trevor D’Souza, OFM –
People give out invitation cards to their friends and relatives on various occasions. These cards are very attractive, have lots of words (date, time, venue), names of persons, designs, etc.
Jesus too gave out his invitation card. But it had just two words: FOLLOW ME. Nothing more, nothing less.
The invitation is to follow “ME” and not simply to “follow” some principles or ideas or ideals or pattern of living or some practices. But to follow ME, a PERSON.
Mark 1:17 // Mt 4:19 = invitation to Simon and Andrew, fishermen.
Mk 2:14 // Mt 9:9 // Lk 5:27 = invitation to Levi, Mathew, Tax Collector
Mt 8:22 = invitation to a Scribe
Mk 10:21 // Mt 19:21 // Lk 18:22 = invitation to the young (rich) man
Jn 1:43 = invitation to Phillip
Jn 21:19.22 = invitation to Peter after the resurrection
Mt 10:38 // Mk 8:34 // Lk 9:23 = invitation to anyone who wishes to become his disciple
Jn 10:27 = invitation to all those sheep (disciples) who listen to his voice
Every invitation demands a RESPONSE. An invitation becomes useless there is an appropriate response from the one who receives it. In the parable of the king who gave a wedding feast (Mt 22), the king became angry with those who EXCUSED themselves from responding to the invitation.
It takes two hands to clap, God’s and mine. So too it takes two hands for friendship with each other. So when God extends his hand out in friendship, I need to respond by extending my hand out in friendship too. It is in accepting and responding to the invitation of God that I can become part of his kingdom and part of his life. If I refuse to accept his invitation I have only myself to blame for that.
Jesus gave his invitation card – Follow Me – many responded positively (Peter, Andrew, James, John, Philip, Mathew and other Apostles), while some refused to respond (Judas Iscariot, Jn 6:66). This has been the same pattern down the centuries. The invitation card remains the same even today and will remain the same forever. God’s invitation card is open to all: Follow Me.