There is a wonderful painting by Caravaggion “The Call of Matthew.” Jesus is depicted as entering the tax collector’s house which is filled with dandies. He extends his hand pointing to the one he is calling. Caravaggio, being the brilliant artist that he was, portrays the response with some ambiguity. One man has his head down as if trying to avoid being seen. Another has his finger pointed — at himself? at the person next to him? The painting thus can stand for the call Jesus extends to each one of us. When he says “Follow me” we too can put our head down, we too can think he can’t possibly mean me. I’m just trying to be a decent person. Isn’t that enough? Jesus calls us to be more than decent, to be who we were made to be, children of God. As children of God we are commissioned to share that love God has shown to us to all those who have been woven into our lives.
