Jesus called out to them, “Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people.” And they left their nets at once and followed him. –Matthew 4:19-20
If you were a race car driver, you would choose the fastest car. If you were a chef, you would choose the finest ingredients. If you were a jockey, you would want the strongest horse. If you were an athlete, you would want the best equipment. If you were a CEO, you would want the most qualified staff. If you were Jesus, you would want the weak and dependent?
What if I told you that the Lord starts with the “B Team”? In fact, when Jesus picked his team (known as the 12 disciples), he actually picked those who had been glossed over by other rabbis and been left as fishermen. There was nothing special about the men. They were everyday, ordinary people. Jesus could have gone to the temples and chosen those who had memorized the Torah. He could have recruited men of influence and good standing. He could have chosen those who were popular or wealthy. Instead, he took the least of these. He looked past the most obvious apprentices, approached some fishermen and simply said, “Follow me.” They did.
The appendix in my Bible lists some of the characteristics of the first disciples. Perhaps you can relate to a few of them: treacherous, greedy, doubtful, despised, judgmental, short-tempered, and impulsive. These were people who struggled with imperfections. One reason they all stood out was that they were willing to leave everything to follow Jesus. They were willing to leave everything behind to follow the Way, the Truth and the Life.
What about you? Are you still waiting to improve yourself before you try to really follow Jesus? Or, are you ready to see that God has picked you for His team? As much as you may have feared that you might be picked last, He picked you first. Why? He believes in you. He knows what you can do through Him and for Him. It is when you are willing to sit humbly at His feet and acknowledge your need for Him that God will show you great strength found in Him. He will make you fishers of men.
GOING DEEPER:
1. Why is it hard to imagine that God believes in you?
2. Jesus asked fishermen to drop their nets and to come follow Him. What is He asking you to leave behind?
FURTHER READING:
Matthew 11:28-30; 1 Corinthians 1:30-31; 1 Thessalonians 4:7