Matthew 4:19 “And He said to them, ‘Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.”

There are many different voices in the world. Some we listen to carefully and others we choose to ignore. But there is one Voice that begs for a decisive and immediate response. This Call comes from Jesus.

When I was a young mom I stayed constantly in tune with everything pertaining to my children. From day one I slept with my eyes closed but my ears open in order to quickly respond to the faintest whimper from the bassinet by my bed. Similarly, even the youngest child can distinguish the voice of his parent from all the others in the room. When Mom or Dad calls he must choose whether or not to respond.

After Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness, He left His childhood town of Nazareth and withdrew into Galilee. There He settled in Capernaum, a town bordered by the sea. This community, located in the very Northern region of the country, fulfilled yet another prophecy spoken of by the prophet Isaiah who foretold, “The Land of Zebulun and the Land of Naphtali, by the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles … The people who were sitting in darkness saw a great Light.” (Isaiah 9:2)

From this spiritually dark northern “headquarters” Jesus continued preaching the message of repentance that John the Baptist had started. One day as He walked on the shore by the Sea of Galilee Jesus spotted two brothers, fishermen out for a day’s work. As these brawny men cast their nets into the blue waters Jesus extended The Call. “Follow Me,” He said, “and I will make you fishers of men.” Without hesitation Peter and Andrew dropped their nets, the tools of their trawling business, and set out to follow where Jesus would lead.

A little farther down the beach Jesus came upon two more fishermen to whom He also extended The Call. James and John, along with their father, Zebedee, sat in their wood craft mending broken nets. These brothers, also, heard the summons and left the boat and their father behind to follow Jesus.

Soon others would also hear The Call and respond in kind. Twelve men became part of Jesus’ closest entourage on earth, but many others also believed and committed themselves as His disciples. Together this wide menagerie of men traveled throughout Galilee, the land of great spiritual darkness, as Jesus taught and proclaimed the gospel of the kingdom.

News spread as Jesus, God’s Son, cured all sorts of diseases and maladies, including those wrought with demon possession, bringing physical healing and spiritual light into the gloom. The Call was going out to all sorts of broken people who hearing the message and were compelled to choose how they would respond.

Today the Voice still beckons each and every one of us to leave behind all that we hold dear and follow Him. Will you, like an attentive mom or an obedient child, listen for The Call of the

One Who loves you, and respond with the same wholehearted commitment as the fishermen who left everything to follow Him?

Jesus is inviting you to be His disciple. Will you heed The Call?

Love,

Mama