Wrong Number, I

We get our share of telemarketers who call our house. We don’t have caller ID, but I’ve gotten pretty good at knowing who is a friend calling and who is a telemarketer.  When I answer the phone and there is a pause after I say hello, I know that the computer system is pushing my call through to the salesperson, and I hang up.  I can say “no” right away, before a live person comes on the line.  When God calls, are you ever tempted to do that?  Are you ever tempted to say to God – wrong number – call someone else?

One of the lectionary readings for this week is Mark 1:14-20.  It is the call of Simon, Andrew, James and John.

Whenever I read that passage, I am always struck by the vision of the fishermen dropping their nets, immediately, and following Jesus.  It is as if they don’t hesitate – they don’t go home and discuss the decision with any family members – they don’t struggle through their choice– they just do it.  Immediately.  There is nothing in the passage that leads us to believe that Simon, Andrew, James and John were being called by a stranger.  I have to believe they had met Jesus before, that they had heard him preaching or teaching, that in some ways they had already developed some kind of relationship with him.  Even so, Mark doesn’t leave much doubt that their response was excuse-free.  They dropped their nets, left their lives, and followed Jesus.

One of the other lectionary readings for the week comes from the book of Jonah.  For me, in some ways, Jonah – initially --  has an opposite response when compared to the four men in the Mark passage.  God calls Jonah to go and tell the people of Ninevah that they must change their ways or face destruction.  Jonah’s initial reaction – to run the other way – is so much more like my reaction to God’s call sometimes.  I can relate to Jonah.  In response to God’s call, Jonah goes down to Joppa, gets on a boat, goes down into the ocean, and down into the belly of a fish.  Talk about arguing with God – only at Jonah’s lowest point can he finally say “yes” to God – and even that response is reluctant.  And when the people of Ninevah repent, Jonah is disappointed in God’s mercy.

Are we sometimes more like Jonah in our responses to God than we are like Simon or Andrew?  And why is that the case?  I think we can get so wrapped up in our excuses that they become a trap – to use a fisherman’s image – our excuses can become a net to keep us from serving God.