Follow Me! (Matthew 4:18-22) - 1 of 4

This post is the first of four posts about Jesus calling the first disciples. 

Matthew 4:18-22 ¹⁸ 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. ¹⁹ And he said to them, "Follow me, and I will make you fish for people." ²⁰ Immediately they left their nets and followed him. ²¹ As he went from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John, in the boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets, and he called them. ²² Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed him.

"Follow me!"

Following Jesus didn't mean these men would simply listen to the teachings of Jesus and learn them.  It didn't mean they would apply the teachings of Jesus to their lives as it was convenient and made logical sense.  In fact, nothing about following Jesus really made any logical sense at all.  "Following" denotes an intentional and decisive way of life!  They actually went with Jesus.  And they went "immediately!"  AND they left behind their businesses and their families. 

This is commitment!!

We learn later in the gospels that following Jesus goes even further than going where he takes us.   It goes even further than prioritizing our businesses and families second to our commitment to Jesus.  It requires that we "take up our cross daily and follow him" (Matthew 10:38).  It requires we die to our former way of being, yet find life in Jesus.

It is a commitment beyond commitments.  These men didn't pray a prayer and go on their way with a ticket to heaven in hand.  They gave up all they had and immediately, decisively followed Jesus.  The following wasn't going to be perfect.  They would have their doubts and problems.  They'd even fail.   Sometimes Jesus would pick them up and put them back on their feet.  But they kept following - trying to keep up.

Towards the end of the gospel story, when things have gotten dicey and Jesus is having problems with the religious leaders - we will even hear Simon Peter look back at this day and say to Jesus, "Look, we have left everything and followed you. What then will we have?"  In other words, "Jesus, what do we get for our troubles?"

To which Jesus will respond, "And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields, for my name's sake, will receive a hundredfold, and will inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first"  (Matthew 19:27-30).
The reward, Peter, is to be last.  But in being last, you will see that you have gained more than imaginable.  Not in worldly success or possessions.  But in things that have eternal value.

Let's follow Jesus!!!  Let us go where he goes.  Let us put the commitment to him before anything else in our lives! Let's be last, but put him first.  Its going to be quite an adventure!

*** The story in the gospel of Mark ...

Mark 1:16-20 16 As Jesus passed along the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the sea-- for they were fishermen. 17 And Jesus said to them, "Follow me and I will make you fish for people." 18 And immediately they left their nets and followed him. 19 As he went a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John, who were in their boat mending the nets. 20 Immediately he called them; and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men, and followed him.