You Were There (4/21/05)
It had been over a month since they had seen Jesus. They had begun their journey back into Galilee together, but He had gone off on His own, and they had returned to their labors. They had been out through the early hours, knowing that to be the best time to catch fish, but their efforts had been to no avail. Now, the sun was high, and further pursuit of fish near the surface would be fruitless, so they had pulled to shore, and put the time to good use mending their nets.
A little ways off a crowd was forming around some speaker or another, but they could not make out what he was saying. However, as they washed and repaired their nets, the crowd was growing. Soon, the one who seemed to be the focus of this crowd approached them, and they recognized Him. It was Jesus, the one John had pointed them to! He spoke not word of greeting to them, but climbed into Simon’s boat as if it were His own, and then asked Simon to take Him out on the waters.
How would Simon respond? Andrew and John knew who He was, but James, and those who worked for Zebedee, though they might have heard about their meeting had not met Him so far as we know. It was surely presumptuous of this man to climb into another’s boat, yet His request was put politely enough. It was not an arrogant demand that He be served, but a request, a seeking of a favor. Now, Simon and Andrew, fully aware who it was that asked were doubtless quick to respond. They tossed their nets back in, pushed off from shore, and then pulled themselves into the boat. I can imagine that John was telling his family that this was the One they had met by the Jordan.
Then, let us fast-forward to that point when the nets are filled to overflowing, and the Zebedees are called to lend aid. Sure, John had told them that this was the promised One, but it was just the report of a young man at that point, the voice of idealistic youth. Now, Simon was calling them to come out and help him pull in the nets. Well, this was an unusual moment for the fish to be out, but not so much so as to cause alarm. Besides, they were but three in his boat, not that surprising, then, that they should need help. But, when they realized the enormity of the catch, that the two boats together would barely suffice to bring it to shore! Well, this was beyond all experience! To have caught something at this hour was not so unbelievable, but a catch like this! Even had the hour been more typical, this would have been extraordinary. As it stood, it was beyond extraordinary.
Still, the surprises were not complete. Having reached shore, this Man called them to join Him, to become His disciples, and all four of them were so immediate in their response! Here was the catch of a lifetime, made possible by Him, and yet they would draw no benefit from it, indeed would take a loss! Simon was walking away from the very means of his livelihood in this moment of bonanza. Did he give thought to his wife at all? Who would care for her as he wandered off after this teacher? And, Andrew, his brother was going with him! Who would see to the needs of their parents? Indeed, who would see to their own needs? This Teacher, did He intend to repeat deeds such as today’s to provide for His students?
As shocking as it was to see Simon and Andrew simply abandon their boats and pursue Him, it must have been even more so to see John and James do likewise. After all, their father was right there with them, a very visible reminder of good sense and responsibility. Indeed, most surprising of all is that he raised no objection at their departure. True, he still had men to help with the catch they had landed, as well as with future labors, but here were his sons taking leave of him without so much as seeking his permission. Yet, his permission was tacit in that he did not seek to hold them back.
As I consider this scene, though, I think the thing that goes unnoticed is what these four were leaving behind. Again I am drawn to the very thing that convinced them to follow, which was this incredible catch they had brought to shore. Surely, the voice of reason must have suggested to them that they ought at least to see to that catch before they took off after Jesus. Indeed, we would consider it the demands of good stewardship today. He had brought upon them such blessings of provision, and they were just leaving it there on the shore. For all they knew, it would be left there to rot. I don’t think for a moment that the thought had not crossed their minds as they left. But, the exchange between Simon and Jesus summed up what they were all feeling. Clearly, they stood in the presence of a holy man, the Holy One. Clearly, their sins were cast in stark relief by the light of His righteousness. The incongruity of their association with such a one was not lost on any of them. Yet, He called them to join Him! There would be no counting of the cost of their decision. What cost could possibly be too much with such a call in their ears? Righteousness Himself had called them to come learn from Him. What is life and livelihood in light of that?
New Thoughts (4/23/05-4/26/05)
From the outset, it seems, Jesus presented His followers with offense. He acted in ways that simply were not right and proper. He spoke of things in ways that were impossible to accept. He did things that went against instinct. All of this is played out in the record of His calling the first disciples. It begins in that very first moment, when He climbed into Peter’s boat. Who among us would be willing to do such a thing, to simply walk up to a working fishing boat and hop on like nobody’s business? What sort of reaction might we expect from the owner of that boat? What would he be thinking? At the least, he would probably be taken aback by the shear audacity of this man.
Having got their attention, He asks quite politely if they would be so kind as to take Him out on the water a ways. Can He not see that these are men laboring hard to earn their living? Does He not understand that they are tired from a long night’s work, and frustrated for having nothing to show for that work? We look at the fact that the Zebedees had paid laborers with them and recognize that the family must have been reasonably well to do. What fails to cross our mind, though, is that those laborers must still be paid though no catch had been made. Now comes this itinerant teacher wanting to interrupt their industry for a joy ride. Is making a living such a small thing to Him?
I could imagine a number of possible reactions from the average, sensible fisherman. One tired and frustrated by his fruitless labors might lash out angrily, tossing Him from the boat. One might expect them to deliver a tongue-lashing, insisting that He get out of the boat and stop wasting their time. At the very least, one might expect a calmer sort of man to explain that they are both tired and rather busy. Can He not see the nets that need attention? Perhaps He is unfamiliar with the ways of this trade? The one reaction that seems almost impossible is that one we read of: Peter and Andrew apparently offer no argument, no debate, but simply put their gear back in the boat and push off. Granted, they had met Him previously, had some inkling of an idea that He was Messiah, but they had, as yet, little basis for confidence in that belief.
Now, we move out on the waves with them. The teaching has ended and the crowds, presumably, have dispersed. The Teacher suggests heading back out on the water for a catch. Now the brothers are a little bit amused. He may know His Scriptures, but He apparently doesn’t know about fishing! It’s hot out. The fish will have gone to deeper, cooler waters, and will no longer be near the surface where nets can find them. But, though it be a lark, they’ll take Him out there and no harm done. Well, much to their surprise there is indeed a catch to be made, and one such as they have not seen before! Indeed, the catch is so great that they must holler to the crew that remained on the shore to come help. Even with their help, the quantity of fish they have drawn up is near to swamping the boats.
Notice this, though. The Master of all creation knows the limit. He knows exactly how much those two boats can handle, exactly how strong the nets are right at that moment, in their present state of repair. It’s been factored to the exact number of fish that shall swim into those nets. This is the knowledge and power of Him who says He will never test you beyond the limits of your ability to stand! He knows exactly how strong you are, right now, in this moment. He knows exactly how much you are able to withstand, and will allow no more than that. Of course, as His purpose is to strengthen and train, He will allow no less than that either.
Now, a large catch is not an offense, although it is clearly a reason for shock and awe. What offends so utterly, though, is that having brought the catch to shore they are called to leave it all behind! Here is great blessing showered upon them, and no sooner has the blessing been poured out then they must forsake every bit of it. This is such an offense to our sensibilities! Where is the stewardship in that? How can God allow such profligate waste? Why, it’s so offensive that when I mentioned this point in home study last week, it was still bothering people! It can’t be! God would not allow that bounty to rot on the shore! They may have been right about that, but it can hardly be declared a certainty.
Part of the problem we have with this picture is that we are defining good use by our own terms. The greatest use we can see for those fishes is provision. We see in them a means of feeding the family, a means of providing clothing and shelter, as we sell off what we cannot eat. We might even see in them a means for supporting the church, as we tithe on what that production brings. But in all that, we are only looking at material benefit. Do we really think that our material benefit is the pinnacle of God’s purposes? Of course He is concerned for our welfare, and He will most assuredly provide for our needs, but that is not the ultimate purpose of His activities on our behalf. He is concerned with our spiritual well-being. If our spirit is not healthy, then all the physical and material blessings in the world will avail us nothing. What use is it if we gain the whole world but lose our soul?
This, I think, is the flip side of the masterful knowledge of the Master. He knows not only the exact measure of the temptation we can withstand, but also the exact measure of blessing. Indeed, in every blessing of God upon our lives there is the potential for temptation. This is not to say that He tempts us with these blessings, but that our sinful nature is perfectly capable of making those blessings a temptation by our lusts. Even as Paul wrote of the Law, that it was good and given for good purpose, but sin made of it an opportunity, so it is with the blessings God rains down on our lives. It is very easy for us to allow the boundless outpouring of His bounty into our lives to become a snare and a trap. We can get so caught up in the blessings that we lose sight of our purpose. We can get so caught up in the blessings that we serve the blessings, rather than seeking out our Provider.
That, I think, is precisely why Jesus caused this catch to come to them. Three of these four young men had met Him, had already accompanied Him on one brief journey towards home. Now, He would be calling them to a much longer journey towards a much better home. This catch of fish was the entrance exam for the school they were about to enroll in. Did they count His teaching of greater worth than the livelihood they had known? That was the question before them, and to a man they answered in the affirmative.
However, before that challenge was faced, there was one other thing thrown in the way. It is, perhaps, the first ‘hard saying’ of Jesus. It is so hard, in fact, that we invariably put it in softer terms. “I will make you fishers of men”, He tells them. Yet, that word speaks of making men prisoners, of capturing and ensnaring them. Granted, Jesus is clearly making His point from the example of life around Him. He is taking the events of the fishing trip and using them to make His larger point. However, it is one thing to ensnare fish, or even birds. But, to ensnare men? Why, David’s psalms are full of that image, and it is never the mark of a good man! It is the act of a treacherous and sly man to lay traps for the taking of prisoners, and this is what He would have them do?
The sum of the message I have is this: The Gospel will offend every ear that God has not opened. The Gospel, the best news ever given to man, will sound a vile thing in the mind of those not given to understand. We who have been captivated by the loveliness of that message forget this simple truth. We forget how it rang in our ears before we were given ears to hear it. Oh, but the message offended us! At least I know it was that way with me. We ought not be surprised that the world is upset with Christianity. It must be, else it must accept the Truth. A world bent on destroying all meaning cannot accept the claim of knowledge. A world bent on declaring man the pinnacle of evolution cannot accept a higher being. A world bent on having things its own way cannot accept the claim of One who can command the very fish of the sea to do His bidding.
The Gospel will offend every ear not yet renewed by the Holy Spirit’s call. Yet we must accept the offense, and declare it nonetheless. They may hate the messenger. They may abuse the messenger. They may even kill the messenger, yet the message must ring forth. The Truth must be told, for there are prisoners out there that must be set free before they may be taken captive. In all truth, every man walks in captivity. It is merely a question of who holds the net. Paul wrote to Timothy of those ensnared by the devil, those held captive to his will (2Ti 2:26), and prayed that they might escape those bonds. Yet, he is forever describing himself as a bondslave of Christ. Oh! That we would learn that it is not the anarchy of freedom into which Jesus has brought us, but the liberty of serving a better Master! Every man is a slave to one master or the other. Blessed is he who serves the Good Master. Blessed is he whose Master cares for him not as chattel, but as His own dear child!
Lord God, I look upon the message of those fish and I must inspect myself. Am I yet willing to set aside all that You have poured out in my life? Do I trust You well enough to know that even if You insist that I set every bit of it aside, You will most surely provide for every need? I fear to hear the answer. I know You have taken me through times of want before, and I know You have always borne me through. I know, too, that I have been confused by more recent events. You brought us to this house, of this I am certain. You have blessed us with bounty by which we can bless Your house and Your workers. Yet, the trials have been great. It seems that these last two years have been lived in almost constant threat to the way of life I have become accustomed to. What am I missing, Holy One? Have I allowed the blessing to become temptation?
Lord, I have sought to stand firm, to pursue the righteous course. Yet, I must confess that fear and anxiety have crept in. Oh! That I might be restored to the confidence that my God will provide! I know this thing! I have known it so long as I have known You. Yet, here in this slow roasting that seems to be going on, it is hard to hang on to that knowledge. Oh, Lord, renew in me the strength of faith! Though whole industries fall down around me, yet I will trust in You! You have a plan and a purpose for this man, and though I may not see how, I know You will provide.
God, make me as willing as Peter and John to set aside every comfort, every bounty that You have yet poured out to pursue the greater thing You have in store. Your kingdom is all, Lord. This present condition is nothing. Forgive me, Father, for getting caught up in it, for becoming addicted to having extra. Remind me, God, remind me. You have given me everything I need and more. Restore to me the confident assurance that You will ever do so.
What is even more shocking than these things Jesus said and did is the fact that these four men took Him up on His call. “Follow Me.” Now, it is clear that most, if not all, of these four were seeking after something already, were anxiously looking for the coming of Messiah. That they hungered for some greater spiritual reality than was common to daily life is sufficiently clear in that they had gone out to see John, and that they had been so quick to go to Jesus when once He was pointed out. Yet, there remained in them that strong current of common sense. When nothing remained to pull them away, they returned to that vocation they were used to.
They had accompanied Him on the trip back from the Jordan at His behest, but apparently had not heard in that invitation a call to be joined to His ministry. Indeed, I should think that no such call was to be heard at that time, for He had yet to pass through the wilderness training period. Though He had been officially announced, He was not yet officially authorized to begin His work then. Now He was authorized, had begun His teaching even before He returned to these men. Now the call was a more serious calling. So serious was it that they must be tested before they could come labor beside Him. As much as the large and unseasonable catch of fish served to confirm Who it was that sat in Peter’s boat, it also provided the entrance exam into the school of the Gospel. Great bounty had been lavished upon these men. Would they still prove willing to leave it behind to pursue the great unknown of His ministry?
True, He was making a name for Himself as a teacher, but a name and a living were two very different matters. These men had a living. Indeed, this catch would serve to improve that living, had they cared to stay with it. Isn’t that interesting … Jesus, as He called these four, left them in a position where rejecting His call would not destroy them, but would leave them still blessed after a fashion. No, none of them would have become what they became, but neither would they have been punished for their answer. But, the crux of the matter was the simple question of counting the cost, and the cost had just become higher. It might have been easy to leave behind a life of hard labor and slim profits for the life of a student. But, when the profits were good, was it still so easy?
It might be easy for us to heed the call of God on our lives when things are hard. When we’re just scraping by anyway, not surrounded by material distractions, His call doesn’t seem so radical to us. It is an easy thing to set aside what little we have in favor of pursuing Him. But, when things are good, when He has showered house and provision upon us, can we still hear His call? When He increases the cost of answering, can we still count that cost and find Him worth it? That was the question for these first four disciples, and it remains the question for every disciple that ever followed thereafter.
It is the very call of Christ to us: Count the cost, then come follow Me. Don’t do it unthinking, don’t do it because it’s easy. It’s not, and if you still have it in mind that it is then you will falter along the way. If you have not determined that He is worth any possible cost, then there will come a time when the cost is too high. To reject the offer at its offering would be one thing, and might be forgiven. To take up the offer, and then turn away when the going gets harder, that is a much greater crime.
I am reminded of an employer I once worked for who put me into a position that was quite a stretch for me. It was not beyond me, I don’t suppose, but it would demand a great deal more than I was accustomed to putting into the work. The situation was made very plain to me in that offer: If you can’t handle it, you’d better recognize that now and not take up the offered position. If you take the position and fail at it, it will be your responsibility. It was that same message: count the cost before you decide.
Of course, with Jesus, the cost is much greater, and so, too, is the worth. To truly follow Him, to truly pursue His purpose for our existence is going to cost us everything. It’s going to cost us all that we are familiar with, it’s going to cost us family ties. Notice: it’s not that it might cost us these things, it will cost us these things. There really is no question in that regard. If it has not presented us with this high price yet, it is because we have not yet truly committed to following Him no matter what. We’re still counting. There may yet come a cost that strikes us as too high. The truth is that no cost can be too high. Whatever the price turns out to be, it will have been worth that and more. Many have found that it literally cost them their very lives, and considered that but a small price to pay. In truth, it was a small price. What are a few short years of laborious life here on this tired old planet compared with an eternity in the city of perfection?
It is those who have counted the cost, those who understand the great price that heeding His call is going to entail and yet are immediate in their response who will stand in that last day. These four did not need any debate, any time to consider whether they ought to join Him or not. They simply landed the boats and chucked it all. All that great catch of fish, all the expense already paid for those boats, all the home and family that were represented were as nothing compared to the kingdom that was presented to them. They knew His worth. It was the great price of the decision that built into these four men the characteristics that we have seen ascribed to Andrew, for these same things were true of all four. They shared, as they shared this moment of calling, a determined pursuit of that which conscience demanded, and they shared an ardent desire to win souls. None knew in that moment just how great the price of their determined desire would become, yet when the price grew, not a one of them shied from paying.
Four men found that price to be acceptable. Yet there were more than four men present. What happened to those others? Luke tells us that the four who followed were not alone in their amazement, yet they were apparently alone in their decision. Can it be that Jesus was so selective as regards who He was willing to invite? Oh, but that’s an offensive sound to our ears! Yet, should it be? Jesus Himself taught that many heard the call but only the few were chosen (Mt 22:14). Isn’t that exactly what we see happening here? Many heard the call inherent in that catch. Many heard the call Jesus issued directly, “Follow Me!” But, only the few, the chosen few, heeded that call.
What held the others back? We could blame it on their attachment to that profitable catch that was being left behind by the four. However, that would be little different than claiming that it was something particularly good about those four that led to their selection. Odd though it may seem, I think those others remaining behind was just as much a part of God’s purpose and planning as was the fact that four followed. God knew precisely who He wanted amongst His disciples, right down to and including Judas whose purpose in the plan was to betray Him. Now, that Jesus had already been teaching is clear, for there were crowds following Him about already. Yet, He had not called any of those in the crowds to be His followers. Doubtless, many in that crowd would follow, some would follow through every coming trial. They would be numbered amongst His disciples. Remember that the disciples numbered far more than twelve, even after the crucifixion. Those twelve, though, whom He called in particular, would be disciples of a particular calling. These twelve and no others would be known as the apostles of the church. These twelve and no others would serve as the continuation of the prophetic building of the church (Eph 2:19-20).
Now, I want to return to one thought in closing this portion of study. Looking at those fish upon the shore, and the boats by which these men had earned their livelihood, the cost of their decision begins to be comprehended. The very blessings that God had just finished pouring out upon them were to be left behind. I note once more the offense that this thought brings to people, that God might pour out that provision for the sole purpose of letting it go. That was indeed its purpose for these four men. They must be sufficiently sure of their calling that they would willingly, even thoughtlessly, leave behind the stuff for the Man. Yet, the stuff was not wasted.
Remember, there were men left behind, both family and employee. Would the One who cried out against the abuse of corban really leave the families of these men destitute by His calling of them? No! In this very act He provided for them. True, the catch, large as it was, would not provide for long, but it served as a sign that as He had done in that moment, so would their needs be cared for throughout. This was at least a part of His reason for not calling everybody that was present. Zebedee would remain to bear word to Salome. He would remain to see to it that the boats these young men walked away from were not entirely lost. He would remain to see to it that the proceeds from the catch were fairly distributed, and he would continue to fish and provide for his family. It’s not entirely improbable that he also took up the care of Peter’s family during this period.
The articles speculate on what became of Zebedee, wondering that he did not follow along with the sons he gladly allowed to go, suggesting that his death would be the only explanation for his wife being at the cross and himself not at her side. But, is any of this a necessary conclusion? Isn’t it equally probable that his faith in Jesus was as strong as his sons’? Isn’t it just possible that God’s purpose for Zebedee was to provide for the needs of the radicals on the front lines? It is not, after all, the things we do that make us fit for the kingdom, it is the obedience in which we do them. The man who labors faithfully to provide for his family, and who gives from his profits as the Lord directs is no less a man of God than that one who goes forth to the far corners of the earth as a missionary. The missionary would be in sorry shape without those who remain at their labors!
The ones serving God’s kingdom purposes are not always as obvious as we think they ought to be. You can tell me I am making excuses for inaction, but I would have to tell you that you are falling into the Pharisaic fallacy. You are returning to the thought that works justify the man. It is faith that justifies, and the obedience that flows from faith. Obedience is the mark that differentiates the dead works of the Pharisee from the lively works of a living faith. The essence of the matter is heard in the words of a recent song. “If You say go, I will go. If You say wait, I will wait.” To go to the mission field when God’s purpose was for you to labor for the provision of others would be as sinful as to hide yourself away when He calls you to the mission field! This is a misunderstanding that plagues the church. So often we become convinced that the particular mission He has given us ought to be taken up by everybody. It is never so! We are one body but many organs, many limbs. We are one purpose but many activities. We are one song but many harmonies. In that moment when we insist that a particular ministry is a necessary part of every believer’s life, know that we have exceeded the bounds of God’s purpose. Eighty tubas playing the same note at the same time will be powerfully loud, but they will not be a sound pleasing to the ear if they continue in that vein. So, too, with the kingdom of God. If all are at work on one singular task then all others are of a necessity being neglected. If all had gone running after Jesus in that moment, none would have remained to provide for them and for their families. If all had gone running after Jesus in that moment, there would have been no boats to serve the group in the coming months and years. This would not be the last time Jesus needed to go out upon the waters. Somebody must remain to provide those boats at a later date. Those who remained would prove just as faithful to His purpose as those who followed, for each of them was pursuing the course He laid for them.
