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Devotional Sharing, Submitted by Jay Park
Nobody follows a random stranger at the invitation, “Come, follow me.” It seems that the disciples who left their nets “at once” to follow Jesus at least knew something about Jesus that they were willing to go with the invitation, leaving their puzzled parents behind. They must have heard His preaching about the light in the darkness, about the announcement of the kingdom of God and felt something resonating in their hearts. Perhaps, they had been disappointed in life and disillusioned. They were looking for something more. When the Rabbi came and asked to follow Him, by then they were ready to try the new adventure.
If Michael Jordan or Tiger Woods came to our city and extended an invitation: “Follow me. I’ll help you to be just like me,” I bet many people would jump on that opportunity. Why? So that we could be as good as they are and perhaps achieve the fame like them. Jesus’ invitation wasn’t so that they could become famous but that they would be fishers of men. The disciples probably didn’t know what being a “fisher of men” was like. However, it was probably based on Jesus’ character/integrity/authority/trustworthiness that they were willing to give it a try. What is admirable about these disciples is the reckless abandonment of the things they were used to and familiar with, such as their profession and family. This is what Jesus commended them for in Mark 10:29-30: ‘”I tell you the truth,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age (homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—and with them, persecutions) and in the age to come, eternal life.’ In my own opinion, this was the best decision they ever made as there is nothing as noble and worthy of a goal as bringing the lost souls into the kingdom of God.
Jesus extends the same invitation to me to follow Him on this adventure, not just once but everyday, because I don’t always follow Him but often follow other things in life. I can easily follow my own desires to achieve something great before the eyes of others, like being considered the best in ________. It could be in the areas of sports, music, servanthood, character, worship leading, small group leading, etc. It’s a constant battle to correct the path that I’m on—i.e. who/what I am following. Another reason to refuse Jesus’ invitation is due to desire for physical/emotional comfort. Following Jesus means to engage in suffering love, which is not easy and totally takes me out of the comfort zone. However, it’s only through the sacrifice of people that many lost souls are brought to salvation. It’s ultimately how I handle the competing desires in my life that make it or break it when Jesus’ invitation is laid before me. While I’m thankful for the invitation to be a fisher of men and my decision to follow Him, I need to still daily struggle to deny myself of desires that make me look good before others but instead have a long term view of rescuing others from death through the path of sacrificial love.
Devotional Questions:
Matthew 4:15-17
- How has Jesus’ coming fulfilled the prophecy, “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”?
- How have I experienced this in my life?
- What is the significance of the fact that Jesus’ first message was a call to repent?
- How central is repentance in my life?
Matthew 4:18-22
- Think about who it was that issued this invitation: “Come, follow me.”
- How did the disciples respond to Jesus’ invitation?
- Have I responded to this invitation? In what ways am I still holding back from responding like these men?
Additional Questions:
Matthew 4:1-11
- What can I learn from the fact that Jesus was “tempted by the devil” after his baptism and the heavenly affirmation?
- Reflect on the three temptations and the underlying desires involved in each. Which one am I most susceptible to?
- What can I learn from Jesus’ response to each of these temptations?
- When I face adversity or personal struggles, what/who do I turn to for answers?
- In what areas of my life do I need to experience victory through the word of God?
Matthew 4:23-25
- Note the 3 words used to describe Jesus’ ministry in vs. 23. In what ways has my life been characterized by these 3 activities?
- What is the commonality among those who came to Jesus? What does it take to come to Jesus? What does this say regarding true blessing (cf. Matt 5:3)?