There is a
tale about a king who was unhappy. He had everything, and yet he could not
figure out the cause of his unhappiness. His doctors tried many therapies and
failed to find a cure for the king’s melancholy. Finally, the king’s astrologer
told him that if he wore the shirt of the happiest man in his land, he would be
happy. The king sent his ministers all over the land, but every person seemed
to have some discontent brewing in her/his life.
One day,
when the king went hunting in the forest, he found a man whistling while
chopping wood. The king inquired: “My friend, would you like a better job or
more money?” The woodcutter replied: “No. I have a good wife and children, a
job I enjoy, and a roof over my head. I have all that I need.” The king
realized that this was the man he was looking for; unfortunately, the man did
not own a shirt!
This tale
inspires and challenges us. The first
disciples left behind their families, boats, nets, and homes, and followed
Jesus. In contrast, the rich young man rejected
Jesus’ invitation to discipleship and “went away sad, for he had many
possessions.” Peter begins to say, “Lord, we have given up everything.” In
other words, “What’s in it for us?” Gently, Jesus helps his disciples
understand that they have given up their human families, but now they receive
another community that is new and very different—a community that is centered
on the will of God. Perhaps Peter was helped to remember an earlier moment when
Jesus said: “Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.”
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