Chosen By Jesus
Peter and Andrew were two humble fishermen who left everything behind when Jesus called them to follow him.
The Bible doesn’t tell us the reaction of their families or friends to this strange behavior, but we can imagine that they found Peter and Andrew’s sudden departure from their livelihood a bit surprising.
What must have been even more shocking was Jesus’ ability to en-gender such wholehearted devotion. How amazing it must have been to be so drawn to Jesus that you dropped your life’s work and went with him.
And the term “fishers of men” must have seemed terribly odd to those first disciples.
But they went. And as he began to teach, others followed him, too. The disciples were ordinary people who heard him and believed his message. As fish gathered into a net, they came.
The disciples sat at his feet and learned how they, too, could tell others about him and communicate with power.
They must have wondered sometimes why Jesus chose them. They were the most ordinary of men.
In many ways, the disciples were just as we are today. We hear about Jesus, are drawn to him, accept him as our Savior, and then learn that we are to be fishers of men.
I remember the first time I was told that I could be a witness for Jesus. “Not me,” I said.
It isn’t that I was shy, but I was very afraid. I couldn’t imagine someone like me, with no formal training in the Bible, no scholarly background or seminary training, telling others about Jesus with enough skill to change their minds.
But I did learn to fish for men. And I did grow in understanding that what I learned was useless unless the Holy Spirit came into each encounter and touched the heart of the listener.
It is thrilling to grasp that God has chosen ordinary men and women, just like the first disciples, to be instruments of his mercy; to be tools in the saving of souls from the time of the disciples and on into eternity.
The Savior of the world who walked beside the Sea of Galilee and called his early followers walks with us today and calls us into a relationship with him.
He gives us the power to touch the hearts of others and experience the joy of seeing them accept him.
How humbling.
Father, thank you that you draw us, call us, and use us in Your service.
We know you could have chosen other ways to bring the message of salvation to the world, but we are grateful that sometimes you bless us with that privilege.