Day 10 - What is Jesus Inviting Me to Do? To Leave Behind?
Read Matthew 4:18-23
At this point, Jesus has already faced enormous temptation and started preaching a radical message. He walks past fishermen, who actually made a decent living with that vocation*, and invites them to follow him. They very likely had heard his message preached, and knew he was not just a random passerby. His message carried weight. But his invitation was more powerful than usual because most Jewish Rabbi's did not invite disciples to follow them. Rabbi's were followed by the disciples own choice*.
The Rabbi invited Peter and Andrew to follow him. They left their nets IMMEDIATELY.
Then Jesus calls the sons of Zebedee who then also IMMEDIATELY left their father and everything behind. This would have been recognized in both Jewish and Greek culture as a sign of radical discipleship, and it could have led to dishonor for James and John as they abandoned their family to follow Jesus.
Read the passage again.
What does this passage tell you about the kind of man Jesus is?
What kind of disciples were these fishermen?
What kind of promise or calling is it to be a "fisher of men"?
What could Jesus be inviting you to do today? What might he be inviting you to leave behind?
Jesus, I think today you are inviting me to leave behind worry, anxiety, and fear. I think you are inviting me to choose gratitude and to look for gifts of beauty and hope in the every day things that can feel so meaningless. Help me to relinquish my desire to be in control and instead leave behind what is comfortable to embark instead with you on a people-focused mission. My life is yours. Amen.
*IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament, (IVPress:1993) p. 55
At this point, Jesus has already faced enormous temptation and started preaching a radical message. He walks past fishermen, who actually made a decent living with that vocation*, and invites them to follow him. They very likely had heard his message preached, and knew he was not just a random passerby. His message carried weight. But his invitation was more powerful than usual because most Jewish Rabbi's did not invite disciples to follow them. Rabbi's were followed by the disciples own choice*.
The Rabbi invited Peter and Andrew to follow him. They left their nets IMMEDIATELY.
Then Jesus calls the sons of Zebedee who then also IMMEDIATELY left their father and everything behind. This would have been recognized in both Jewish and Greek culture as a sign of radical discipleship, and it could have led to dishonor for James and John as they abandoned their family to follow Jesus.
Read the passage again.
What does this passage tell you about the kind of man Jesus is?
What kind of disciples were these fishermen?
What kind of promise or calling is it to be a "fisher of men"?
What could Jesus be inviting you to do today? What might he be inviting you to leave behind?
Jesus, I think today you are inviting me to leave behind worry, anxiety, and fear. I think you are inviting me to choose gratitude and to look for gifts of beauty and hope in the every day things that can feel so meaningless. Help me to relinquish my desire to be in control and instead leave behind what is comfortable to embark instead with you on a people-focused mission. My life is yours. Amen.
*IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament, (IVPress:1993) p. 55
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