HRC New Testament Reading Plan: daily NT reading devotional thoughts.
18 As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 19 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” 20 At once they left their nets and followed him.
Matthew 4:18 NIV
Are you ready to follow?
Matthew 4 marks the beginning of Jesus’ ministry. First, he was tested in the desert by the devil to take care of himself and not rely on God for his bread, to test God really protecting him and to let Satan provide him with the world that he came to save. He passes the test by using scripture, then goes on to begin preaching with a message of “repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near”.
He had returned from the wilderness and gone to Galilee, a great strategic move since it put him in a region away from Herod who had imprisoned John the Baptist and in the crossroads of regions throughout Galilee and the northern part of Israel. Here, he could teach his message as he walked along the Sea of Galilee.
One day he greeted two brothers going about their jobs as fishermen. “Come follow me” he said, telling them he would send them out to “fish for people”. They left their nets and followed him to a new life.
He also saw another two brothers in a boat with their father, and he called them to follow as well. They immediately left their boat and father behind to follow him.
It’s amazing to me that Peter, Andrew, James, and John were willing to leave the life they knew to follow Jesus. Did they recognize him as the Messiah? Had they heard him teach and want to follow to learn more? Did they hesitate at all about how they would provide for themselves? I personally would have had a lot of questions I’d want answered before following.
As they walked with Jesus, the saw him go through the region teaching in the synagogues, healing and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom. Large crowds formed, wanting to hear what Jesus said, some wanting to have his healing touch. They must have been amazed and very quickly saw the kind of life Jesus had called them to, and that they would live in service to him after he was gone.
Sometimes my heart isn’t like these men, eager to quickly follow Jesus no matter the difficulties and uncertainties, and trust that God will provide for me if I answer his calling to follow him and fish for people.
Questions:
- How did Jesus’ testing in the wilderness prepare him for his ministry?
- What did Jesus mean by the “kingdom of heaven has come near”?
- What challenges would you have if Jesus asked you to leave everything behind and follow him? What would hold you back from going immediately?