S82P8 – The beauty of the call: Peter and Andrew
Matt. 4:18-22
As Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee, He noticed two brothers, Simon who was 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 noticed two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and his brother John, in the boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets; and He called them. Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him.
He had always been a dabbler in life, the person trying the next new thing to see what fit him best. Professionally, this was certainly the case. It was as if no job could make him happy or fulfill him spiritually. When it came to ministry he certainly found fulfillment there, and he was looking for a way to combine the two into a professional venture which would be spiritually significant. He had dreams and ideas of things he could do for the kingdom which also could sustain him, but he could not tell which ideas were his and which were the call of God. The most impossible idea he had was to write a great work of spiritual merit, and he contemplated that for years. Once he decided to give that a go, the call was clear. The words flowed from him like water from a spring, and a publisher picked up that work in no time at all.
It is easy to miss what Jesus did in this short passage. He had just called Peter and Andrew to put down their nets and become fishers of men with him. Then, in what seems like the very next moment, Jesus takes this calling and shows them how it can bear immediate fruit. He invites them to fish for men, and right away He begins fishing for men with them. This is a clear indication of the validity of this calling, that it would bear fruit the moment they begin to walk it out. That moment was not the fulfillment of their calling but simply a sign that they were on the right track and correctly discerned the path on which the Lord wanted them to walk. It is like the first highway marker showing them that they are on the right road and headed in the right direction.
God knows what we need to be confident and have faith that we have heard from him. For some people it takes only the smallest confirmation that they have heard and responded correctly. Other people might need much more. Neither one is better than the other. What we must remember is that the heavenly work to which we are called will bear fruit in its good time, and that will be our confirmation that we are walking in our genuine calling. It might not be instant like this example, but it will happen when and how God knows we need to experience it. Father, thank You that You not only call us to work for your kingdom, but You are gracious enough to encourage and give us confidence along the way.