February 3, 2022

“When they had brought their boats to shore, they left everything and followed him.” (Luke 5:11)

The person of Jesus Christ was so radically attractive that crowds thronged around Him and people forsook their lives and their livelihoods – without hesitation or calculation or second thought - to follow Him.

What about today? While His caricature (see SNL’s Church Lady) clearly repels people, He continues to draw people to Himself with His unique word of truth and grace. Among the cacophonous voices of flattery, false promise, and bald face lies that besiege us from within and without, He alone has the words of life.

To drop everything and to follow Him is to lose yourself and, ironically, be found.

“Set us free, O God, from the bondage of our sins, and give us the liberty of that abundant life which you have made known to us in your Son our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.” (Fifth Sunday after Epiphany – BCP)