The place was 1st century
Judea under occupation by the Romans. The person was the son of a carpenter
from Nazareth named Yeshua. He had just set out from his rather humble
beginnings. Entering his ministry. He was not well known at that time, had
not done many great miracles - which did happen as he went through his
ministry later.
But at this time, being unknown, having not yet done
all these great miracles and done all this great teaching. He set out to
gather his primary disciples, who would be a part of his ministry with him.
He knew where to find them. By the Sea of Galilee.
This is not where you would expect him to look. The
people he would find on the seashore of Galilee would be fishermen, families
of fishermen, really lowly people and people not of, uh, great reputation
within Judea. Not people that you would expect to respond to a spiritual
message.
They were rather salty, these folks, and they were
strong people, because actually, fishing was something that was rigorous in
those days. They had to respond to every kind of weather. They had some
tough people to deal with. The work itself was sometimes very difficult, but
they had a way to make a living, and that was through fishing.
As Yeshua walked along the Sea of Galilee, he saw two
brothers. They were casting their nets into the sea as fishermen do. For
them this was a day, like every other day, and they were doing what they did
as fishermen. They were fishing.
Something happened they did not expect.
They were encountered by this man just starting out in his ministry who
said to them, “come after me and I will make you fishers of men.”
What happened next is really startling and perhaps
impossible to explain. They immediately left their nets and followed him.
Why? Why would they do that?
There was no amazing record that had been built up by
Yeshua yet, that his fame would've gone before him to explain this.
They weren't looking to get saved. They weren't looking
in that sense for the Messiah. They were children of Israel in covenant with
God. They didn't worry about being saved because they already were friends
of God.
They weren't religious people, so they weren't just
waiting to go on some exciting religious mission.
So when he called them, when he said to them, “come
after me and I will make you fishers of men” why did they just cast their
nets into the sea and follow him?
Clearly, it was not for the reasons that people follow
him now, because they didn't know who he was (the Savior). Even once they
started following him, it was some time before they understood and realized
that he truly was the Son of God and the Messiah of Israel.
They became his followers, his disciples, because of
him. Him. When they encountered him, the person that he truly was radiated
out from the heart of that man, Yeshua, in such a way that these fishermen
responded to it, they recognized it, and whoever he was, they were following
him. This is how it is for true disciples of Yeshua.
It's not about getting saved. Although
if you follow him, you will be saved. It's not about setting out on some
exciting spiritual adventure, although if you follow him, you will have the
most exciting spiritual adventure you could ever imagine. No, it's all about
the man, Yeshua. It's all about who he is in his heart.
For those whose spiritual eyes, be they fishermen, or
be they theologians, if they truly see who he is, there is only one response
to that, and that is to follow him, to become as much like him as you
possibly can be. Because when you really see him, you realize there's
nothing else. There's nothing else that matters so much as him.
And then that (reality) just calls to you to follow
him, to become as like him as you possibly can because this is the highest
thing a human being can do. This is the true essence of being a disciple.
Yes. This was just the beginning for these fishermen
and we know the story as to what happened with them. They walked with him
and he taught them. He modeled and he was the exemplar of the truth - the
way, the truth, and the life. He IS that.
They had the privilege of walking with him every day
and witnessing this unfolding manifestation of the Son of God in human
flesh. A lot of times they didn't understand. How could anyone? He would do
things, he would say things that seemed totally contrary to his best
interests. They were babies in comparison to him, and yet they kept
following him even when they didn't understand, because of who he truly was,
and they saw him do things that they never expected. He taught them to be so
much more than they were. He was kind of like a mirror that they could look
into and see their true selves and be changed into the people they were
meant to be.
