David Bahn – Reflections

Matthew 4:18-22

While walking 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. ¹⁹And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” ²⁰Immediately they left their nets and followed him. ²¹And going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called them. ²²Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.

We’re in the last part of Matthew 4 this week – following the suggestion by Bonhoeffer to take a few verses (10 or so) and meditate on them for a week at a time. It doesn’t do much for getting through the Bible quickly (although I’ve done that several times), but it does offer opportunity for God to speak to you in ways you might otherwise miss.

I’m not certain just what Jesus saw in these first disciples whom he calls here. It’s not clear that they were outstanding, sub-par, or in any other way remarkable in their fishing prowess. And, frankly, if you look at the lot of disciples Jesus gathered during his earthly ministry, there are plenty of ways in which they don’t stack up. Two want to call down thunder on some folks who didn’t fall into step with their ideals. One could hardly speak without putting his foot in his mouth. One was seriously slow. Another a certified doubter. Two vied for more recognition than the others. One betrayed him. Yet Jesus calls these men to follow Him, and promises to make them fishers of men.

We must conclude something in the words of Jesus’ call: it is Jesus who does the work in us. By His grace. With His gracious and creative power. He takes the raw material that we are and fashions it into something beautiful, and powerfully good.

Each of us has unique gifts to be leveraged by God for eternal good. But even our strengths can become weaknesses. In fact, more often than not our greatest strength is also our greatest weakness in the economy of God. But the good news is that by the grace of God our greatest weakness can become something beautiful for Him. We can become something that is for the display of His splendor, and a testimony to the truth that God’s strength is made perfect in our weakness.

It’s not clear just what Jesus saw in these first disciples. But it is clear that Jesus looks at you and me with the eyes of grace, and sees us as those worth redeeming. He died for you and me, so that we may live in and for Him. Today is a good day for worship, but also a good day to rejoice in the goodness and grace in God and seek to look at others in your life with that same grace and love.