It’s Me God, At Your Service!
When God chose to create the heavens and the earth he made men and women his crowning achievement. He’s been preoccupied with us ever sense! Of all of God’s creation, human beings are the only part of it that he made capable of entering into a relationship with Him. Put another way, while God loves all that he has made, human beings are the only part of creation that can love him in return… or not. When people ask, “Why did God give us free will by which we can inflict such suffering and cruelty on one another” they are operating from the wrong premise. God didn’t make us free so we would do evil; he made us free that we might choose the good. Since God is the first and highest good, then we can conclude that God gave us free will with the desire that we might love Him first and foremost. But whether we will live our lives to fulfill His desires or live only to satisfy our own, is precisely our choice to make.
So, “the word of the Lord came to Jonah” instructing him to go to the people of Nineveh to warn them of their impending doom. Jonah had other plans and told God, “No!” He decided to take a cruise instead. It was at this point that all hell broke loose. A storm broke out, a crisis ensued. His dream vacation quickly became a nightmare… for him and for those around him! Everyone on the boat was in danger of drowning for no fault of their own. So, Jonah filled the crew in: “For I know that this great storm has come upon you because of me” (Jonah 1:12).
God called Jonah to join him in the mission to save the people of Nineveh. His “no” brought disaster to himself and others. Later his “yes” would bring blessing and deliverance. In today’s Gospel Jesus calls his first disciples to join him in his saving mission. Their “yes” would not be easy nor come without great sacrifice. But after more than 2000 years people are still benefitting from their willingness to accept Jesus’ invitation to follow him. When we freely chose to put our lives at the service of God’s will, God’s way, God’s word and God’s work; when we make God and the building of his Kingdom our daily preoccupation, then we become a saint-in-progress rather than a disaster in the making!