Invitation or Command?
This Sunday’s gospel reading is the same story of the calling of Andrew and Peter that we heard last Sunday from the Gospel of John, but this week the story comes from the Gospel of Matthew. It includes the infamous phrase, “Follow me and I will make you disciples of men.” (people in the NRSV)
Jesus’ invitation is different in both. In John, he says, “What are you looking for?” and “Come and see.” In the Matthew version, it is more imperative, “Follow me.” Both are invitations rather than commands, though one might argue that “Follow me” could be a command.
The command to discipleship can be a tricky subject. For those who might come from tradition where a relationship with God was more command and threat, rather than invitation to love and mutuality, the imperative might make one fearful of not following God, or being constantly afraid of God’s reaction when the following is less than ideal.
Certainly a culture of transaction – you do something for me, I do something for you in return – makes the imperative the default. But what if we looked at the invitation to discipleship as an invitation? What might that do to our image of God, and what might it do to our relationship with God?
I suspect that it would make the relationship deeper and warmer. I think God would become a being we would want to talk with more, spend more time with, and offer more praise and adoration. Much like we do our current beloveds!
Have you ever considered if Jesus’ words are invitation or command? What do either bring to your mind and your spirit?