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Jesus Calls Us to Action; "Drop that Net!"
From Matthew 4: 12 Now when Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew to Galilee. 13 He left Nazareth and made his home in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, 14so that what had been spoken through the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: 15 "Land of Zebulun, land of Naphtali, on the road by the sea, across the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles— 16 the people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and for those who sat in the region and shadow of death light has dawned." 17 From that time Jesus began to proclaim, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near." 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. 22Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed him. 23 Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and curing every disease and every sickness among the people.
How we love our routines! Each of us has at least one day filled with routine. We start here, do this, head there and do that. We look forward to talking with him, and not so much her, but will if need be, and we wonder where the phrase "creature of habit" came from. Our Sundays for example, are perhaps the most routine of days. I can still recall my childhood and boyhood Sundays. Rise early as our mother awoken us, fight for the one bathroom seven of us shared, dress in our best that mom made sure we had, pile in the car and drive to church. Yes, breakfast was whatever was awaiting us. "I'm not running a restaurant!" my mother would declare and if we did not like what had been prepared, "you're not hungry!" We arrived in time for Sunday school in the days before coffee and donuts were mandatory gathering foods. We sought out our friends, and once the bell rang, we headed to our class. There we learned about God and The Bible, and when it was time, the bell would run again, and we would walk as a group to the church; the girls would usually go sit with their families, and the boys would try to sit together, which was dangerous because our conversations tended to make us laugh, and laughing was forbidden in church especially during the sermon. Most of the preachers I remember were very serious and did not include a lot of humor so boys laughing the back usually meant a punishment of some kind. As church would end, we would head outside and find some excuse to run or talk and laugh some more. We would drive home a different way, and usually it was down a street with a lot of used cars and I usually had my poor eye on something I would not afford for many years. But it was something to look forward to on the drive home. Sometimes dad would take us home the long way through Main Street Houston to our home way south of downtown. Lunch was always fried chicken and all the fixings and we wonder why one of the choruses said, "I've got that chicken-eatin' Methodism down in my heart." Sunday afternoon fighting for the Sunday "funnies," watching the Oilers on tv, then returning back for Sunday MYF, then evening worship. Quite a routine I had!
Imagine what happened to the routine of those men first called by Jesus to be His disciples. It was shattered. It started with a message Jesus was preaching, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near." This came on the heels of John the Baptist's same sermon, but now he was in prison and because of that Jesus moved to the place where Simon Peter and Andrew lived. This message had had its impact on their lives I believe for upon hearing Jesus say, "Follow me, and I will make you fish for people," the Bible says that "Immediately they left their nets and followed Him. I know they had been among those sitting in darkness. Blind to the newness of a life lived without sin; it was the great light that Christ's message shined on that sin that made them want to change their focus from the daily grind of doing this and that, to exalting God and seeking to please God. Jesus then called two more brothers and these two left their boat and their father to follow Jesus. They counted the cost of following Jesus too great to miss out on, that they left behind the daily routine of pleasing Dad and family. Now their lives were on a different path and they would never be the same again.
From fishing for fish to fishing for people. And what bait they used! They taught a message of God's love, the invitation to wholeness was shared; and healing and restoration came to those who sought it and needed it. They may not have thought about having sat in darkness, but once you walk in light, you know you have, and you don't want to go back. I cannot imagine sitting in the same pew year after year having heard the invitation to follow Jesus and to serve Him as a pastor. I would not have received the education I did, nor made the new friends and brothers and sisters that I have; nor would I have met the woman who has blessed my life with love and children, and now the children have blessed me with grandchildren. Why would I return back to the place where I sat in darkness after having walked in light and love?
You and I know we've lots of people yet to reach. Creatures of habit and sin, who sit in darkness by choice or captive to routines that have not let them see another way. They seek only to exalt themselves or the things of humanity rather than the exaltation of the One who offers a new life and one lived in abundance. Drop your nets and leave your boats and follow and serve the One who calls. The cost is too great to miss out on; minimum gain is at least hundredfold of all that we consider loss for serving God. Greater yet is the cost of lost lives if we don't reach them.
PRAYER: Loving God, thank You for taking me out of darkness and showing me a new way in light in which to walk. Thank You for showing me that serving a routine is not that which blesses You nor Yours. Help me bring others into Your light and love; this I ask in Christ Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!
Eradio Valverde
