Jesus starts God's work and gets some help
(From the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 4, verses 12-23)
When Jesus was about 30 years old, he made two important decisions. He decided to leave his family in Nazareth, and he decided to stop being a carpenter. He moved to a small village called Capernaum on the edge of the Sea of Galilee. And there, he started preaching. "Repent! Change your life!" he told anyone who would listen. "The kingdom of God has come near!"
One day, Jesus was walking on the beach. He saw two fishermen out on the water in their boat. They were throwing their nets overboard to catch fish. Jesus watched them for a long time. He noticed how they worked together. He saw how skilled they were - they knew just how to throw their nets so that they wouldn't get all tangled up. He saw how strong they were. Pulling the nets back into the boat didn't seem to be a problem for them at all.
Most of all, Jesus noticed how much the two men enjoyed each other's company. As they worked, they talked and laughed together.
Jesus held his hands up to his mouth and shouted, "How's the fishing?"
The men hadn't noticed him. His call made them look up from their work. "Not bad!" they shouted back.
"Who are you, my friends?" Jesus called back to them.
The larger man responded, "Simon!" And nodding to the other man, he added, "And this is my brother Andrew! Who are you?"
"Jesus!" Jesus replied. "The carpenter from Nazareth."
Peter and Andrew had heard of Jesus. After all, he had been preaching all over town. Lots of people were listening to this young carpenter. They liked him and they liked his message. Peter and Andrew had even talked about him while they worked.
"Come on," Simon said to his brother. "Let's meet this carpenter preacher."
"Alright," Andrew replied. They hauled their nets into the boat and headed for shore.
When they got there, the two men pulled their boat onto the beach and came up to Jesus. He approached them, smiling broadly, and took each of them by the hand.
"Simon. Andrew." Jesus looked right into their faces and squeezed their hands. "Come with me! Help me fish for people!" And throwing his arms wide open, he said, "Help me bring everyone into the community of love that God is creating here," he said to them.
Simon looked at Jesus. Andrew looked at Jesus. Joy and energy seemed to come from him. Just being with Jesus made each man come alive in a way they had never experienced before.
"I'll go with you," Simon finally said. "So will I," said Andrew.
Jesus raised his head up to the sky and laughed out loud. "Great!" he said, slapping them on the shoulders. "Follow me!" And off they walked down the beach.
Before too long they met three more fishermen, James and John and their father, Zebedee. They were mending their nets.
Jesus stopped and walked up to the men. "Good morning, Zebedee," and turning to the young men, he said, "James. John. Come with me. Now." Pointing to Simon and Andrew, he continued, "Help us build the community of love that God is creating. Help us fish for people."
James and John looked at Jesus. Then they looked at Simon and Andrew. There was an excitement in these three men that was palpable.
"I will," said James. "So will I," said John.
And after saying goodbye to their father, they headed off with Jesus, too.
Simon (who later was given a new name, Peter), Andrew, James, and John became Jesus' first disciples. They went with Jesus all over the Galilee area. Before too long, 8 other men joined them. Everywhere Jesus went he preached the same message: "God's kingdom has come near, and there is room for everyone in it. Nobody will be left out. Nobody." He taught people about God and about the power of God's love. And he also healed many who were sick.
What do you like best about this story?
Has anyone ever surprised you with an invitation to do something?
How did you respond?
Have you ever heard Jesus say "Follow me"?