Abandoning Expectations

I read Songbird's sermon this morning -- Gone Fishin'. It's based on the Matthew lectionary reading for last Sunday (Matthew 4:12-23).  In this passage, Jesus calls four of his disciples to become fishers of people.

In her sermon, Martha encourages here congregation to consider their gifts and how they can be used to further the work of God -- to "bring about the world that God wants."

The disciples are asked to leave their lives behind -- but they are also asked to leave behind their expectations, and the expectations of others.

Do our expectations stop us from hearing and following the call of God?  Her sermon struck me because I wondered what Zebedee, the father of James and John thought when his two sons followed Jesus. And the friends of Peter and Andrew, what did they think when Peter and Andrew immediately left to follow Christ. What was the gossip in the town? What did Aunt Edna tell her neighbor over the fence about her two crazy nephews? How did Zebedee explain it to Mrs. Zebedee? How did the disciples leave behind expectations?


Do we let others’ expectations of who we should be get in the way of answering our call from Christ?