“They left everything and followed him.” Lk. 5:11
Some of you may have read A.J. Cronin’s novel “The Keys of the Kingdom”. It centres on the missionary priest, Fr. Francis Chisolm and is set in the early years of the last century. Francis grew up in a Scottish village where his best mate was Archie Tulloch. Well just as Francis’ faith led him to priesthood, Archie became a staunch atheist and entered the medical profession. While Fr. Francis was ministering in China his friend went out to visit him – there is an outbreak of plague – together they work tirelessly and it is contained. However, Archie contracts the disease. If this is sounding familiar to some of you Gregory peck fans, yes, he did star as the Priest in the 1944 film made from the text (before anyone says anything I saw it online!). In the film, as is inevitable much is made of the final scenes of Archie’s life. Fr. Francis respects his friend’s beliefs or to our way of thinking lack of them, and just sits with him, no doubt feeling more helpless as he could not administer The Last Rites or even recite a prayer. At first it is Archie who steals the scene: -
“Francis, you have always been a wonderful friend and I have always loved you. But I’ve never loved you as much as I do now, I do not believe, I cannot believe.”
But then Fr. Francis replies: -
“Archie, it is does not matter that you do not believe in God. Because, you see, Archie, God believes in you, God believes in you!”
The uniting theme of this morning’s scripture readings is a dramatic demonstration of God’s belief in his chosen servants. Isaiah description of his vision of God’s holiness has inspired many expressions of prose, verse and art. Paul vividly recounts his Damascus Road experience of Christ’s appearance. In the Gospel account Simon only leaves all after the great catch and, indeed the healing of his mother-in-law. It is this latter account that stresses the reluctance of our three scriptural heroes, not through lack of openness but by a feeling of unworthiness.
Isaiah responds: -
“Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips….” (Is. 6:3)
Paul openly acknowledges his past: -
“For I am the least of the Apostles, unworthy to be called an Apostle, because I persecuted the Church of God.” (1 Cor. 5:9)
Even after the healing and the catch of fish Simon Peter pleads with Jesus: -
“Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” (Lk 5:10)
The fact is that God believed in them. The Seraph cleanses Isaiah’s lips. God’s grace made Paul what he was. Jesus merely told Peter that he was not to be afraid, he had a job to do! What each had in common was that they were willing to accept that they were in need of God’s strength if they were to be his servants, that they were willing to accept it for they believed in his power to accomplish it.
The balance lies in the equation of repentance and reticence. Peter is going to struggle with this for the next three years! The Church has suffered from it ever since for while we all need to acknowledge our sinfulness this should not lead to an unwillingness to follow God’s call, or indeed to follow his guidance as to where that call has been made! It is no accident that Luke adds the great haul of fish at this stage of Jesus ministry: it is recorded earlier in Mark, and post Easter in John: Luke thus recalls that the evangelistic mission of the church is intimately bound up with Jesus’ call of the first apostles.
The truth of the matter is that however deep we may try to close our ears to God’s call, to cower with false humility or bask in sin - God believes in us. God is not interested in our natural or self-imposed, or should I say indulgent, limitations. From the moment of our Baptism God has been interested in our potential. While we continue to trust in God’s love we must also trust and take advantage of his mercy and strength working in and through us.
Saint Francis of Assisi summed it up many centuries ago when building on Jesus’ own prayerful sentiments, he began what is now an immortalised prayer: -
“Lord make me an instrument of you peace”.
It is these sentiments that succinctly describe the responses of Isaiah, Paul and Simon Peter to God’s love, and what is more it further describes our vocation.
Our prayer today has acknowledged that our mission is beholden to trust in God – it is only “relying solely on the hope of heavenly grace, that we may be defended by his protection.”
Isaiah, Paul and Peter embraced God’s call and a complete change of life. It is beyond doubt that God believes in us, and that we can be instruments of his peace. These are cheering thoughts – if they are not so clear – well, the answer is in our hands as we examine what we need to do……!
“They left everything and followed him.” Lk. 5:11