Jesus the Caller
As he walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon who is called Peter and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. And he said to them, "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." Immediately they left their nets and followed him. Matt. 4:18-20, RSV.
The day began with two fishermen casting their nets. It was hard work, but satisfying. Though they would never get rich, by the standards of the day they were quite a bit above average in their level of living. After all, they owned a boat and had a steady income. Comparing their relative social position to successful small business owners in our day, we could consider them upper middle class.
And then that Man entered their lives and things would never be the same. "Follow me" were His words. And they did, putting their financial security behind them to accompany a homeless wanderer who claimed He would make them "fishers of men." They must have wondered what that meant.
Why did they give it all up?
People today face that same question. Why did some of my students abandon lucrative positions as practicing physicians or lawyers or business people with high earnings to go back to school to live on a modest minister's salary many times lower than what they had been used to? Why did others opt to teach children and thereby both remain out of the public eye and out of many of the "good things" a lucrative career brings? The questions go on. Why did some decide to serve in foreign missions? And why have countless millions of Christians in all walks of life suffered losses in order to maintain honesty and integrity in their business practices?
The answer is found in the Man named Jesus and His powerful message. He still beckons individuals today. For some the call is immediate, like a flash of lightening in their lives. For others it takes place across weeks, months, and even years. Still the calling goes on as people make decisions to leave whatever kinds of nets they are casting.
But like Peter and Andrew, they don't know where it will all lead. And that is probably good, since Peter ended up on a cross and his business partner James Zebedee would find death at the hands of one of the Herods in a few short years.
Yet neither did those early disciples understand the bright side of the future--how they would change the world in their day and that every generation after them would be affected by their giving up their nets.
Jesus is still calling, my friend. Today He still asks men and women to become "fishers of men."
As he walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon who is called Peter and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. And he said to them, "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." Immediately they left their nets and followed him. Matt. 4:18-20, RSV.
The day began with two fishermen casting their nets. It was hard work, but satisfying. Though they would never get rich, by the standards of the day they were quite a bit above average in their level of living. After all, they owned a boat and had a steady income. Comparing their relative social position to successful small business owners in our day, we could consider them upper middle class.
And then that Man entered their lives and things would never be the same. "Follow me" were His words. And they did, putting their financial security behind them to accompany a homeless wanderer who claimed He would make them "fishers of men." They must have wondered what that meant.
Why did they give it all up?
People today face that same question. Why did some of my students abandon lucrative positions as practicing physicians or lawyers or business people with high earnings to go back to school to live on a modest minister's salary many times lower than what they had been used to? Why did others opt to teach children and thereby both remain out of the public eye and out of many of the "good things" a lucrative career brings? The questions go on. Why did some decide to serve in foreign missions? And why have countless millions of Christians in all walks of life suffered losses in order to maintain honesty and integrity in their business practices?
The answer is found in the Man named Jesus and His powerful message. He still beckons individuals today. For some the call is immediate, like a flash of lightening in their lives. For others it takes place across weeks, months, and even years. Still the calling goes on as people make decisions to leave whatever kinds of nets they are casting.
But like Peter and Andrew, they don't know where it will all lead. And that is probably good, since Peter ended up on a cross and his business partner James Zebedee would find death at the hands of one of the Herods in a few short years.
Yet neither did those early disciples understand the bright side of the future--how they would change the world in their day and that every generation after them would be affected by their giving up their nets.
Jesus is still calling, my friend. Today He still asks men and women to become "fishers of men."
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