People who encountered Jesus experienced a U-turn in their lives. The rich Lazarus became a generous donor. The sinful woman at the well became a herald of the Gospel. The disciples who had been witnessing such U-turns had their concerns.
In today’s Gospel reading, Peter, who often spoke his thoughts aloud, says to Jesus, “Behold, we have left everything and followed You,” and in Matthew’s account of the Gospel, Peter adds, “What then shall we have?” Jesus responds to them, affirming their rewards for their sacrifices and U-turns.
The disciples had left their homes, families, and the boats and fishing nets they used to support themselves. They renounced the pleasures and satisfactions which relations and possessions usually afford to travel with Jesus, spreading the good news. Delving deeper into the text, I realized that the text tells us about more than physical denouncing. Jesus wants to bring us closer to Him and his mission. Therefore, he identifies the changes we must make in our lives and what we need to leave to come closer to Him. However, the path is not always easy. We need to get ready for a U-turn by getting a sense of what God is asking us to leave behind. It might even be something we think we are doing as a good service.
Hilda was a devout prayer group leader who also edited the monthly Newsletter for her diocese. God wanted her to leave both of these ministries to take better care of herself during her pregnancy. However, she was not convinced she should because no one else in the prayer group was willing to lead, and, presumably, no one else could edit the Newsletter. As days passed, she noticed her family problems getting worse. So, she decided to trust God and leave these responsibilities. Consequently, the prayer group fell apart, but the diocese recruited an editor for the Newsletter who did a better job. Having made a U-turn, Hilda spent her time meaningfully with her family and writing good Christian magazine articles.
Let us ask ourselves, do we recognize a need to make a U-turn to be closer to Jesus and participate in His mission? If so, where do we make it?
