Called
| After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. "The time has come," he said. "The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!" As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. "Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men." At once they left their nets and followed him. (Mark1:14-18) |
Did Jesus know Simon, Andrew, James and John beforehand? There is speculation... There are some who suggest that Salome, mother of James and John, may have been the sister of Jesus' mother Mary which would have made the brothers (aka "Sons of Thunder") cousins of Jesus. Even if they were not cousins, Jesus had been around Galilee for a while and may have come to know them. It is also possible that Jesus was simply guided by the Spirit. The gospels record that He spent the night in prayer before appointing the twelve and so we know that His actions are deliberate and focussed...
What is important for this conversation is that Jesus calls. We are not here by whim or accident. We are called.
What is the nature of this call?
- It's away from our nets. This doesn't mean that we all have to quit our jobs, but it does mean that I am not first and foremost an accountant, lawyer or teacher. It's about identity. I am first and foremost a follower of Christ.
- We're called to Follow Him. To go where He goes, to hear His voice, to see what He does, to experience His presence, love and grace. We don't have His physical presence like the disciples had, but we have the Scriptures and the promptings of the Spirit. We're to "walk in His footsteps" as Peter puts it in his letter to the church in Asia Minor.
- We're called to be fishers of souls. Our new passion, our new identity, is to be focussed on reaching others. We will do this reaching Spiritually with the Gospel and Practically and Emotionally with charity and working for justice and equity in our society
May you and I respond afresh to this call:
- What nets (entanglements) do I need to leave behind?
- Do I have a clear picture of Jesus and His footsteps? What's the next step I need to take in following Him?
- Can I open my heart to people afresh and anew? He died for them and wants me to reach them.
Use these questions as a measure for where you are right now...
