Ignoring the Call
Before you begin: Please read the Introduction — How to Practice the Gospel Exercises
Reflection on (Matthew 8:19–22; Matthew 9:9; Matthew 21:19; Matthew 21:28–31; Matthew 21:33–41; Matthew 22:1–14)
Prayer
Holy Spirit, please open my ears so that I may hear Christ’s “Follow me!” Give me the courage to leave my securities behind and open myself to a new life. Help me to bear fruit—not only words—and to live with reverence for the gift of vocation that God has entrusted to me.
Amen.
Reflection
Jesus’ call is not only an invitation to believe, but a summons to follow. It is not merely agreement with His teaching, but a concrete step: to leave the old behind and embrace the new.
The words “Follow me!” are both simple and demanding—just as in the case of the tax collector Matthew (Mt 9:9), who got up and followed Jesus without hesitation.
In contrast, we meet the scribe and a disciple in Matthew 8:19–22. Both express a desire to follow, yet both set conditions. Jesus confronts them with reality: “The Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” The call to follow is not comfortable. For the sake of God’s Kingdom, it means renouncing earthly securities. It means always placing God’s Kingdom above lesser things—because if we do not, those things become lifeless, and we begin to resemble “the dead who bury their dead.”
The parable of the fig tree without fruit (Mt 21:19) reveals another dimension of this call: being called is not enough—we must bear fruit. Leaves without fruit are like words without deeds. Likewise, the parable of the two sons (Mt 21:28–31) shows that it is not speech but action that reveals who fulfills the Father’s will. The one who first refused but later obeyed is closer to God’s heart than the one who promises but does not act.
In His parables, Jesus often warns that a calling carries responsibility. In the parable of the vineyard tenants (Mt 21:33–41), we see how those to whom the vineyard was entrusted fail in their stewardship. The question is not only whether they were hired, but what they did with what was entrusted to them. And when they reject even the Son, justice comes. God entrusts His Kingdom to those who bear fruit.
In the parable of the royal wedding banquet (Mt 22:1–14), those first invited—the “worthy”—refuse, and so the invitation goes out to both the bad and the good. Yet even here we see that accepting the invitation is not enough: the one who comes must be prepared, clothed in a wedding garment—that is, living a life that matches the invitation, a life made new.
Not everyone who is invited will remain. Many are called, but few are chosen (Mt 22:14). The difference is not in who was invited, but in who responded with their whole heart—through deeds, faithfulness, and readiness.
Discernment
Let us reflect: Where in my life do I delay my response to Christ’s “Follow me”? Are there areas where I hear His call but still hesitate—because of comfort, security, or fear of loss?
Let us recall moments when we remained with beautiful words but without deeds, like the fig tree without fruit. Or when we resembled the son who said, “I will go,” but did not go. Is there also in me a place where I have accepted a calling, yet have not borne fruit?
In prayer, let us hand over to Jesus the concrete things in which we delay following. Let us ask Him for the courage to step forward immediately—not tomorrow, not on conditions, but today and with our whole heart.
Resolution
In the coming week, let us notice situations where we are asked to take a concrete step of faith. When Jesus’ call is heard, let us not allow it to be buried under “someday, later, then.” Let us decide to act at once and to bear fruit that corresponds to our calling.
Prayer
Our Father…