Matthew 4:18-22
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 lake—for they were fishermen. And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fish for people.” Immediately they left their nets and followed him. 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. Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed him.
And immediately they followed.
Can you imagine that? Being so attracted, persuaded, and compelled by a message and person that you would pick up and leave? And let’s be clear: they left everything behind – family, friends, and occupation. Can you imagine?
Some recent biblical scholarship has suggested that because Jesus was now living in Capernaum he had had time to develop friendships with Peter, Andrew, and Zebedee’s boys. That they had been talking about this move for some time. That when he came and called they left immediately because they were well prepared, had in fact planned it all out in advance.
Maybe. What I like about that interpretation is that it offers an example of following Jesus with which most of us can more easily identify. We can, perhaps, imagine getting to know someone over time, deepen in our regard for an emerging vision and mission, find ourselves caught up in the excitement of making plans and preparations, seek the counsel of family and friends, and then embark on a well considered and carefully thought out adventure.
Except most adventures aren’t carefully considered and well planned out – that’s why we call them adventures! And nothing in the actual passage in front of us suggests anything particularly deliberate, but instead offers a picture of people so caught up in the summons to ministry and mission that they leave everything behind…immediately.
Can you imagine?
So rather than explain away their faithful and striking response, I would prefer instead to ask a fairly straightforward question, the question I suspect Matthew intended us to ask: what would make someone pick up and leave everything behind?
Perhaps it was that they glimpsed the coming kingdom Jesus announced. Perhaps they sensed that in Jesus’ invitation there rested a whole new way of relating to each other, an entirely new vision of the world, and a collection of new possibilities for being and acting. And perhaps they were not only attracted to the vision but to Jesus himself and to his invitation to draw others into it this dream. You are fishermen, Jesus’ called, come and I will equip you to fish for people. Perhaps the possibility that their relationships were holy, that their lives had purpose, and that the coming kingdom would emerge in and around and through their labor…. Perhaps all of this was attractive enough for them to leave behind all that they knew for what they had as yet only glimpsed.
Can you imagine?
Prayer: Dear God, grant us a glimpse of your vision and a foretaste of the kingdom that we might be prepared to hear and respond to your call. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
It’s an intriguing question – how much prior planning and discussion led to the disciples “leaving immediately”. I get a chuckle out of reading the description of this event in Mark 3. In that account, Jesus assigns a nickname to James and John – “Sons of Thunder”. That nickname makes me imagine what Zebedee’s reaction might have been when his two sons left him to repair the fishing nets on his own, so they could follow Jesus.
Thanks for these inspirational and thought provoking devotional reflections David.
Blessings!