Mt 4.12-17 Jan 25-26 From Nets to the Unknown: The Disciples' Shocking Yes!

This Gospel describes the early beginnings of Jesus ministry.  The death of John the Baptist seems to be the trigger for Jesus, and he begins by inviting people to join him in his mission.  There are two points I want to draw your attention to.  In most cases one would expect the disciples to ask Jesus, but we have it the other way around.  Jesus is asking them.  It is noteworthy that Jesus is asking them so early in his ministry.  

Most of the disciples as far as we can tell were invited by Jesus for particular reasons, reasons that we can not be sure of.  We do know that its not because they were particularly good or that they had achieved any special accomplishment.  It is noteworthy to mention that we don’t have any record of Jesus inviting any of the Pharisees.  

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Transcript

Hello, and thank you for joining me on “A Psychologist Looks at Scripture.” I am Peter Doherty—a Catholic priest and psychologist—and I am pleased you can join me.

In this podcast, I draw from my background in psychology and scripture studies to provide fresh insights into the Gospels. The human sciences and spirituality are more connected than people realize.  Healthy spirituality has its roots in healthy psychological functioning.  On the other hand, spirituality enriches our psychological functioning. The Gospels were written over 2000 years ago, but the core teachings remain appropriate today.  We are consistently invited to deepen our faith, find new wisdom, and grow spiritually when we reflect on the Gospels. There is always something more to discover.

I know you are busy, so I keep my podcasts short and to the point.  If you have time and are interested, please check out the earlier episodes listed on the podcast website and on YouTube.  

Today’s Podcasts focuses on the Gospel, Matthew 4:12-23.  This Gospel will be announced in Churches on January 25, 2026.  There is lots going on in this Gospel.  I’ll try to address all the different points.

This Gospel describes the early beginnings of Jesus ministry.  The death of John the Baptist seems to be the trigger for Jesus, and he begins by inviting people to join him in his mission.  There are two points I want to draw your attention to.  In most cases one would expect the disciples to ask Jesus, but we have it the other way around.  Jesus is asking them to join him.  

It is noteworthy that Jesus is asking them so early in his ministry.  This leaves me with a couple of questions.  Did Jesus see some quality in them that he recognized as good?  I am reminded of the call of Peter who after witnessing a miracle tells the Lord to leave him because he was a sinful man.  Jesus does not seem to be concerned about a person’s past but rather reflected on the present moment and future possibilities.  Most of the disciples as far as we can tell were invited by Jesus for particular reasons, reasons that we can not be sure of.  We do know that its not because they were particularly good or that they had achieved any special accomplishment.  

It is noteworthy to mention that we don’t have any record of Jesus inviting any of the Pharisees.  Maybe he did but we don’t have any record of any such interaction.  We do however have a record of Nicodemus, a Pharisee coming to Jesus in the middle of the night to discuss faith issues.  Perhaps the message here is that it is God who seeks us out.   It’s not that we win God’s attention or love by our own efforts but rather through God’s efforts.  This should take the pressure off of us who seek God.  We learn that the issue is one of accepting not seeking.

I am also impressed by the reactions of the disciples; they literally drop everything to follow Jesus.  I suspect that is not exactly what happened.  Apparently, the disciples had heard about Jesus, maybe even hearing him preach.  They were likely inspired.  I want to point out that we don’t hear about any miracles yet.  They responded based on what they heard.  We get the impression that they left everything and never went back.  That is not likely.  First of all, it would be irresponsible of them, they had families.  Also, there are references to the disciples visiting and the account of Jesus curing Peter’s mother-in-law.

I wonder if the new disciples fully understood what their willingness to follow Jesus would mean.  They probably did not fully understand what they were getting into.  As incredible as this may seem I believe it is a very common occurrence in our lives.  Frequently we have to move forward with less information and no clear path.  I wonder if newlyweds, fully grasp what marriage is about.  Actually, I can say the same about ordination.  I remember the ordaining bishop commenting in his homily that there was still lots to learn.  I honestly felt a bit insulted, but I realize years later that he was right!

You probably have heard the expression “a leap of faith”; a term used to describe moving into uncertainty with trust in God.  Although the term “leap of faith” is not found in the Bible there are many examples in the Scriptures of individuals doing just that.  I am reminded of Abraham responding to the call to leave his home and Peter responding to the invitation from Jesus to walk on the water from Matthew 14:22-23.

It’s clear that we don’t always receive a direct invitation nor direct assistance in making   decisions for our life’s direction.  Knowing the Will of God in our lives is a process of discernment.    Discernment is a critical component to discerning the role of the Spirit in our lives.  Unfortunately, there are no guarantees with discernment.  Some blessings will not always feel like a blessing and conversely some difficulties could in fact be a blessing in disguise.  I doubt that we are meant to discern by ourselves. 

The next point that Jesus makes is the importance of community.  We will see this again when Jesus sends out 72 disciples in pairs to teach the people as told in Luke 10:1. Community is very important for both our spiritual development and for psychological health.  Community plays a vital role in mental health by fostering social connections that reduce isolation and promote emotional resilience. Research consistently shows that strong community ties lower risks of depression, anxiety, and stress while enhancing overall well-being.

Faith communities enhance these effects via shared values, pastoral counselling, and spiritual practices such as confession.   Integrating spiritual coping with mental health often brings about gains such as reduced stress and stronger bonds.  Faith communities can be critical in discerning the will of God.  Having a trusted spiritual director or friend who is able to challenge us as well as support us can be a valuable asset in our discernment.

Eunice Park and colleagues in their research publication,  “A Sense of Community and mental health”: a cross-sectional analysis from a household survey in Wisconsin published in the Family Medicine and Community Health Journal  in 2023 found that when compared with those who report a positive sense of community, those with a negative sense of community had  significantly higher odds of reporting depression, anxiety and stress symptoms.

It’s clear that community and reflection are critical for healthy discernment.

Thank you for joining me today.

Next Sunday, February 1, 2026, I’ll be sharing a new podcast episode from Matthew 5:1-12, where we will read about the Beatitudes, a list of beloved teachings.  

If you’re new here, I invite you to check out previous episodes on major podcast platforms or YouTube. And for my regular YouTube listeners, please consider subscribing and sharing the podcast with friends who love Scripture.  Also, I invite YouTube listeners to post in the comment section where you are from.  I appreciate knowing where my listeners are from.

New episodes come out every Sunday, focusing on the week’s Gospel. Your feedback and questions are always valued and helps our community grow.

A big thank you to Heather Patel Doherty and Richard Coulombe for their wonderful help in preparing each episode.

If you have any questions or comments, feel free to email me at peter.dohertyomi@gmail.com.

May God richly bless you!