The Call to follow
Matthew 4:18-22
18 As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 19 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” 20 At once they left their nets and followed him.
21 Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, 22 and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.
John 1:34 The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!”
When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, “What do you want?”
They said, “Rabbi” (which means “Teacher”), “where are you staying?”
“Come,” he replied, “and you will see.”
Don’t you love the way Jesus called the apostles to become a part of the gospel movement? Jesus went to where they were and called out “follow me” to the first two men, Simon Peter and his brother James.
John’s account shows how two followers of John the Baptist left John and when they asked Jesus where He was going, Jesus simply replied, Come and see.
Jesus did not craft an elegant presentation to persuade men to follow Him. In fact, in Matt 8;20 Jesus tells people the son of man has no place to lay His head. Yet, the apostles followed.
Two thousand years have passed since Jesus left His place in heaven to become incarnate and He continues, through the Holy Spirit, to say to each of us “come and see.” When we read the gospel accounts of Jesus’ life and ministry, and when we allow His grace to penetrate our very being, then we, too, will answer the call to “come and see.”
In the name of te Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
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Seeking Holiness 