Bible Study: Matthew 4:18-22

Jesus Calls the First Disciples

While walking 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. And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Immediately they left their nets and followed him. And going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called them. Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.

1. Christ sees us. "He saw two brothers" and again "he saw two other brothers". The first thing these verses tell us is that Christ sees us. He sees us as we are. Right where we are. He also sees what is in us. That potential for his use. He sees the real me. But also a vision of what he can make me. What a privilege and a wonder to be seen by Him. I have often found that when I vent my frustrations on a subject to people they will totally side with me. But that does not really help me. But when I vent to God, there is such a mirror of truth reflected back that I can not often justify anger or unforgiveness for long. I usually find myself surrendering to His will and point of view in spite of myself. And honestly I like it better than venting to people. I don't want to be seen as a complainer or a victim. I want to be seen for who I am. I want the truth about me. 

2. Christ calls us. "He said to them 'follow me and I will make you fishers of men.'" And again "he called them". To be seen by God is always to be called by Him. Jesus does both. He sees and then immediately He calls. This is a truly amazing thing for each person who is seen by Him and who understands the profound nature of being seen for all your faults, all your dark secrets laid bare, all your  lies exposed. It is humbling and heart-shaking to be made so naked and yet to be at that same moment so deeply loved that all your worthlessness is deemed worthy. "You see me, lord and you still want ME?!" 

3. We follow immediately. This is the response to the  call to discipleship. So often Christians try to convince others to SEE Christ. They explain salvation with quivering voices and eyes welled with tears of joy and yet walk away confounded when their audience dismisses them. We forget what it was that first drew us to Him, that moment when we first stirred and began to follow hard after him. We love Him because He first loved us. We follow immediately only when we know we have been seen, loved in spite of it and even more ... called to walk with Him. 

4. We leave everything. Simon and Andrew had just cast their nets into the sea. They had plans. Plans to catch fish, plans to make money and feed their families, perhaps grow rich and retire. But the potential for a great haul of fish was forgotten when He called. James and John were mending nets in their boat with their father. They owned stuff... a boat, they had obligations ... to mend nets, they had people in their lives...their father. But they left all that when He called them. To be called TO Christ is to be called away FROM other things. Our own plans, our possessions, our worldly obligations and even people in our lives. This does not mean Christ is literally asking us to quit life as we know it to go and be a missionary in some foreign land...though He might do that. But it does mean that all these things must now come second to the pursuit of Christ. Walking with Him becomes our chief aim. And even more all those other things are surrendered to Him for his use. Plans to be an actor become plans to make Christian movies that bring others to Christ. Money and possessions are given to help those in need, obligations become an opportunity to do everything as unto The Lord, people become invitations to love Him by showing patience, mercy and forgiveness.  But we must leave behind having things our way, pride in owning more stuff, our obsession with busyness and our vanity in lording it over others. 

5. God calls us to serve together. And to serve as families. The first four disciples were two sets of brothers. They were family and Jesus called them together. We are not meant to serve alone. We are all part of one body. We are all one family. We are called to walk with The Lord, but it is not a solitary venture. To be sure there are moments of alone time with God. But we are intended to share Him with each other within the body of Christ. To support and encourage each other. Brothers and sisters in Christ are essential. Jesus knew these men would need each other. He would not always be with them. They needed each other to continue on in faith in the dark years to come. 

This is just a little study of a few verses. Trying to discover as much wisdom as I can a few verses at a time. I only pray that God will show me how to live this out in real life.