Greetings and happy new week to all @blurt.
Have you ever made a decision that changed the entire course of your life? Two thousand years ago, twelve men made the choice to answer Jesus’ call. Their response was immediate, and nothing would ever be the same. If they had known how the story would end when they took that first step to follow, I believe they still would have made the same decision.
In Luke 9:62, Jesus said,
“No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”
When the call comes, how will you respond? Whether you are taking the first step on your journey, or the one thousandth step, fear and doubt are always just around the corner. As we get to know these men whom Jesus hand-picked to create the center of his earthly ministry, we will see them get it wrong sometimes. We will hear words of doubt as well as words of extreme faith. One thing we will not see is their lives returning to what they had known before Jesus called their name.
The journey Christ leads us on may be difficult, but it is incredibly rewarding. Would my life be much simpler if I ignored the doors God opens? Absolutely. But, I can’t go back. The more we see of what God can do, the more we know nothing will ever be the same.
After Jesus resisted his time of temptation in the wilderness, he officially begins his ministry. Taking up the call of John the Baptist, Jesus preaches the call of repentance. Now, officially mantled with the title of teacher, he calls his first disciples. This seemingly simple act of gathering men to support and continue his mission was different right from the beginning.
In Jewish culture, the student selected his teacher, not the other way around. Also, there were no qualifications that this group of very different individuals had to offer. Some were wealthy, others poor. Some were bold, while others are only recorded as having individual and quiet conversations with the ones they brought to Jesus. None of them seemed to fit the mold of what one would expect a disciple of the Son of God to be. Yet, these men sacrificed everything to bring the gospel to the ends of the earth. They were made steadfast by God’s strength. They were successful because of the power of the Lord and not their own eloquence or skillful manipulations. The only thing they did was follow, and that was enough.
God calls us to go in many different directions. Even from year to year, that calling might change. As we follow obediently, God will lead us through many different roles and situations. He will provide us the strength, the words, and the provision we need to accomplish His goals. We need only respond in faith by stepping out of our plans and following the call. Peter and Andrew had just cast their nets. They had just laid out their plans for their success; yet, they left those nets in the water and followed.
Sometimes God calls us in the middle of our plans. Can we leave those dreams in the dust and follow Him instead? The road may be hard, but the reward is worth it. James and John left their family to follow Christ. Can we leave what is familiar and comforting? Can we walk away from what we have always known to trust in what will be? God is worth the gamble. He is worth the risk.
We can learn many things from these men who would become the core of Christ’s ministry, but the first lesson they give us is found in their response. Verses 20 and 22 tell us that each of these men left what they had known “immediately” in their response to God’s call. Commitment requires us to set aside our plans. Faith promises that our sacrifice is worth it. When God calls, how will you answer the Lord?
Shalom
