The Vine: Oct. 28, 2024

“Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the Vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing”

— John 15:4-5

This is a weekly reflection on the previous week’s sermon text. Each week there will be a devotional related to the scripture for the week, along with questions for reflection/discussion, as well as prayer. Feel free to make this a part of your individual spiritual growth throughout the week or utilize in small group settings (growth groups, Sunday school, etc.)

“As he walked 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 fish for people.’ Immediately they left their nets and followed him. As he went from there, he saw two brothers, James 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.”

— Matthew 4:18-22

This is the first instance in Matthew’s gospel of Jesus calling his disciples to follow him. There was nothing prior to this encounter in Matthew that would lead us to believe that Jesus had a previous relationship with any of these future disciples. He simply walked along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, saw these two sets of brothers, and said, “Follow me.” One would think Jesus would have initiated the conversation in a different manner. Perhaps he could have begun by saying, “Hey guys. Catch anything? How about this weather? Got a minute?” Maybe follow that up with an introduction as the Son of God and what exactly he was calling them to be and do. But none of that occurred. Just a simple statement: “Follow me, and I will make you fish for people.”

Apparently, that was more than enough. Simon, Andrew, James, and John all dropped their nets and followed. James and John left behind not only their livelihood of fishing, but also their father, Zebedee. I can only imagine what was going through Zebedee’s mind as his two sons left him alone in the boat – “The two of you are out of your mind!” What parent hasn’t thought that at some point about his or her own children?

The insertion of Zebedee in this call narrative illustrates the fact that following Jesus comes with a cost, and sometimes that cost is relational. Other times the cost involves work, status, possessions, etc. Simon, Andrew, James, and John had no idea what lay ahead in following Jesus, but they would find out soon enough. There would be great times and miracles, confusing times, suffering and confusion, and plenty of misunderstandings and doubt. Yet through it all they stuck it out and the One who greeted them with “Follow me” proved to be the One who would never leave or forsake them. Not even death could keep Jesus from his first followers.

If we follow the life of Simon (later to be called Peter), we find that the first words Jesus spoke to him at the beginning were also the last words Jesus spoke to him – “Follow me.” When Jesus appeared to the disciples along the same lake shore after his Resurrection, it was Jesus who said to Peter once again, “Follow me.” Peter’s life of discipleship was literally bracketed with the words, “Follow me.”

I suppose the same can be said for every follower of Jesus since, including you and me. The beauty of following is that we do not have to have all the answers when we take the first step. It is in the obedience of following that we come to believe and grow along the way.

PRAYER

Gracious God, we thank you for calling us to follow. Give us the courage to be obedient to your calling in our lives. Thank you for the gift of this day and another opportunity to follow where you lead us. Amen.

Questions for Reflection:

Why do you think Jesus didn’t give Simon, Andrew, James, and John any details as to what following him might entail?
Compare the call story of the first disciples in Matthew to the story in Luke 5:1-11. What are the differences? In some cases, the call and response are immediate, while in other cases the call and response are a process over time. What has been your experience in Christ’s calling and your response?
Following Jesus comes with costs and sacrifice. What have been some of the costs and sacrifices in your life? How has that helped you grow in your discipleship?
Jesus said that he would make them fish for people. How do you share your experience of Christ with others?

Printer Version