Getting To Work, God's Way

Matthew 4: 23 - 25

Jesus has called those who are following close to him. They have dropped everything to follow and with them at His side, their tasks begin. Jesus begins teaching, preaching and healing.

He goes straight to where the people currently go to learn and be instructed - the synagogues. He starts preaching obviously in a way not heard of before. Most likely, He's telling them - the structured rules that are impossible to follow have been supplemented with His love and grace. He lets them know that God doesn't want legalistic people concentrating on rules, He wants sincere people who love their neighbors, who care for others, who show God's love here on earth. He is telling them of how to bring heaven's love here. He wants followers who live the rules, not just know how to quote and abide with the laws. Also, note that He is healing every disease and sickness among the people. Can you imagine the uproar, the stories, the excitement? Word quickly spreads to other areas and as a result, people from all over are bringing the ill and ailing to Him. What does He do then? He heals them too. Talk about a stir to get a ministry going! And what do the people do - they follow Him.

We can learn much from this small passage. We are to be Christ here on earth and allow His love to abide here and make God's kingdom here. We are to go to our places of work, shopping and places of worship, teaching and learning and looking to heal everything. A big job, yes. A big God to make it happen, oh definitely yes. Look around at the world you touch everyday and realize that there are so many that need God's love, God's grace and God's healing and use Christ in you to heal EVERYONE! Not for our glory or fame, but for His glory and for bringing others into His kingdom. Oh how the world can and will change as we are Christ to the world we touch each day. And as we do follow Jesus, so will the world.

I challenge everyone, everywhere you go - go out, teach, learn and heal those who need Christ's touch and healing.

Matthew 4:
23.
Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people.
24.
News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed, and he healed them.
25.
Large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea and the region across the Jordan followed him.

Calling the Ordinary to Extraordinary Tasks

Jesus has heard that John was out of commission in telling the tale of repentance and the Kingdom of God. So, Jesus comes into his own, preaching and teaching the Good News to others. Once He starts his ministry, He builds His support team. He first finds two sets of brothers and calls them and they follow. They leave their jobs to take on the heavenly mission that Christ has for them.

I think there are many pertinent facts to this that can be overlooked if you just read the story on the surface. First, Jesus realizes that even though He is God Himself, He needs others. He goes in search of His crew of men that He will use to catch souls. And where does he go? To the synagogues, to the palaces, to the universities, to the philosophers? No, he goes to the fishermen. He chooses those familiar with loss, familiar with hard work, familiar with God's creation. He chooses men who are rugged, hard working (probably smelly) guys who have seen life and walked the road of commoners. Once again, God uses the simple and plain to accomplish the glorious.

Secondly, Jesus called them just where they were. As they were working, at just this time in their life. That's where He's calling us - just where we are, just as we are, just when He needs us. How many of us think, when I get married, I can serve God better. When I have children, I'll go to church. When the children are older, I'll get more involved. When the children are gone, I'll get close to Christ then. Jesus is saying - come to Me now. Serve Me where you are. Quit making plans and make your way to Me.

Finally, the men themselves show us the enormous sacrifice they make to follow Jesus. Jesus knows the future and what will be coming, but without knowing, these four drop everything and follow. They don't go get a change of clothes, they don't wait until the slow season of fishing, they don't wait even until the end of their fishing day. They go. And go they do. This group of commoners with Christ's help and the power of the Holy Spirit turn a world upside down and started what we all can enjoy and participate in today.

So, I ask myself and you. What's keeping you from serving? Drop the nets, shut off the computer, turn off the TV, put down the video game controller, let go and let Christ lead you. I know that your life will never be the same again.

Matthew 4:

12.
When Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, he returned to Galilee.
13.
Leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum, which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali--
14.
to fulfill what was said through the prophet Isaiah:
15.
"Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the way to the sea, along the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles--
16.
the people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned."
17.
From that time on Jesus began to preach, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near."
0.
The Calling of the First Disciples
0.
4:18-22pp -- Mk 1:16-20; Lk 5:2-11; Jn 1:35-42
18.
As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen.
19.
"Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men."
20.
At once they left their nets and followed him.
21.
Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them,
22.
and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.