Now as Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon, who was called Peter, and his brother Andrew, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. And He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of people.” Immediately they left their nets and followed Him.
Matthew 4:18-20 (NASB 2020)
Matthew’s description of the calling of Peter and Andrew is short and to the point. But it can leave us wondering what kind of people would drop everything to follow some stranger who had wandered by. Fortunately, John 1:35-42 and Luke 5:1-11 record some more details that can fill in the blanks for us.
When Jesus called Peter and Andrew to follow Him, they already knew Him, had listened to Him, and had seen what He could do. They were not following some random stranger. They were following one they were convinced was the promised Messiah (John 1:45). And they were willing to leave everything behind to follow Him.
Each of our stories is different. I grew up in a Christian home and did all the right things that were expected of me. I had an intellectual knowledge of Jesus. But then one summer, over 50 years ago, I encountered the resurrected Jesus. And He called me to follow Him. Not as a missionary or preacher. But simply in my everyday life. And I answered that call.
Few of us today are called to walk away from our jobs and everything else we know to follow Jesus. Instead, most of us are called to follow Him where we live, work, and play. To listen to and follow His Spirit’s direction in our daily lives. To be growing in our knowledge and understanding of who He is and what He wants of us. And to faithfully represent Him in the world we live in. That will look different for each of us. But what is important is that we follow Him, wherever He leads.
