In one moment, Jesus changed four fishermen’s lives
Daily Scripture
Matthew 4:18-22
18 As Jesus walked alongside the Galilee Sea, he saw two brothers, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew, throwing fishing nets into the sea, because they were fishermen. 19 “Come, follow me,” he said, “and I’ll show you how to fish for people.” 20 Right away, they left their nets and followed him. 21 Continuing on, he saw another set of brothers, James the son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with Zebedee their father repairing their nets. Jesus called them and 22 immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.
Daily Reflection & Prayer
Jesus usually called people to follow him in a pivotal moment. He couched his call to Peter, Andrew, James, and John in language tied to their everyday work. Fish may be difficult to catch but are often nowhere near as tough to understand and draw in as people. Jesus’ larger, more demanding call was for them to join in inviting others to follow him. (The Old Testament prophet Jeremiah used the image that God would send fishermen—and hunters—to bring back his exiled people—cf. Jeremiah 16:14-16.)
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What do you think made Jesus and his invitation so compelling that, when he called, these four men promptly left the security and familiarity of their family fishing business to follow him? Have you thought and prayed at all about how you could use your influence (and maybe today’s tech tools) to offer a compelling invitation to those you know to follow Jesus? In what ways, in person or electronically, can you share Jesus’ story with others as a God-powered messenger?
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“In the ancient world, fisherfolk were peasants.” * Why might Jesus have walked along the shores of Galilee to find followers, instead of seeking out the day’s best-known religious experts? Could it be that by going beyond his day’s “system,” Jesus found people more open to his radical ideas about what it meant to be the Messiah? What spiritual practices help you keep your heart and life open to hear and answer Jesus’ call?
Prayer
God, give me opportunities to share your story with others. Show me where you are already at work around me so I can join in your work. Help me remember that my power comes from the Holy Spirit. Amen.
GPS Insights
Blake Thomas
Blake Thomas serves as a Connection & Care Pastor at Resurrection Leawood. He joined the Resurrection staff in July 2020, serving as Director of Student Ministries at Resurrection West before moving to the pastoral care team in 2023. Blake earned a double B.A. in Youth Ministry and Bible & Theology from North Park University, and a Master of Divinity from Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary. He was commissioned as a Provisional Elder of the Great Plains Annual Conference in June 2022. Blake is married to Gwyn, who serves as the Donor Development Specialist at Resurrection, and they recently welcomed their first child, Della. Blake enjoys backpacking, reading, and connecting with people over a cup of coffee.
My calling to ministry started when I was in high school. When I was in high school, I was invested in the performing arts world as a band, theatre, and choir kid. I thought my trajectory was to go into music education or something similar. At the same time, I loved church and invested time in helping others and serving in the community.
I was on a mission trip my junior year of high school when my youth pastor came up to me and said, “Blake… it seems like you have a heart for all the mission work we are doing. Could you see yourself going into ministry as a career?” I responded with a quick, “Yes!”
I had never considered a calling to go into ministry until this moment. After this quick “yes,” I found myself adjusting my plans and started looking at colleges where I could study ministry, and the Bible, as a way to explore this calling deeper. After all these years I have never second-guessed that “yes” and I am forever grateful that someone was bold enough to ask me about a life I might be called to live.
This is why the Scripture passage of Jesus calling the disciples on the Galilee Sea is one of my favorites. It is a story of Jesus being bold to ask those around him to leave a certain trajectory behind and to follow him. The disciples left all the comforts of their past life and faithfully said “yes” to following Jesus. The result was spreading the good news to the whole world. Not all of us are called to vocational ministry. However, Jesus does extend invitations to walk beside him every day. I encourage you to be mindful of those invitations and if you are quick to say “yes,” then jump at the chance to experience that moment with him. There are big and small moments that Jesus is calling us to. May we have the courage like the disciples to faithfully follow and see how Jesus’ message can impact the world around us.
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Scripture quotations are taken from The Common English Bible ©2011. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
References
* Eugene Eung-Chun Park and Joel B. Green, study note on Matthew 4:18-22 in The CEB Study Bible. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2013, p. 11 NT.
