A Call and Purpose

Jesus looked at Simon, as Simon had just hauled in his greatest catch ever, and called him to “Come follow me.”

Imagine, you’ve just pulled in the largest haul of your life. You’ll be able to fill the market place and make a great amount of money for your wife and extended family. You might even be able to buy that new boat, so your brother could have his own boat and expand the family business.

Instead of living in the moment of such business success, Jesus calls him to leave fishing and follow as a disciple. Leave a successful business that has been in the family for generations, and follow some teacher and prophet around the countryside.

Do you ever wonder what his wife may have thought? What about his mother-in-law? I mean some of us struggle to get along with our in-laws at times and here he is leaving his business to go follow some guy who just came to town. Who’s going to support her daughter and grandchildren. What kind of legacy was Simon going to pass on to his children? How could he let generations of fisherman end in disgrace of following some prophet into the desserts and byways? Sure Jesus was a good speaker, but we have mouths to feed here.

Simon, had a change of purpose and meaning for his life. Just as Jesus had promised, you are no longer a fisherman, but a fisher of men for God. His whole identity and purpose was fishing, and now it would be following and learning to be like Jesus.

I think we sometimes get caught up in the spiritual and forget these disciples of Scripture are just like you and I. Some of us may feel like they had it so much easier to leave their lives and follow Jesus. The truth is that they were business people, spouses, parents, children, and people with responsibility.

Leaving their purpose, their identity, and livelihood behind was a commitment like no other. Some of us struggle with committing to a Bible study, or coming regularly to worship. Others of us struggle to give up a little of our extra cash to help the poor or bless the mission of the church. We think we are so committed to the cause of Christ sitting in our nice homes, working our secure jobs, and watching our children grow in the best schools we can afford. Some may even think they have sacrificed so much of their pleasure to follow Jesus.

Don’t get me wrong, I know there are definitely people who have lost their jobs, and some who have been kicked out of their families even in our Western society just for becoming followers of Jesus. However, most of us struggle with the concept of leaving our lives and purpose behind and becoming followers of Jesus.

Simon and his brother Andrew left their purpose, identity, and livelihood behind. They walked away from everything. They were now dedicated and defined by a new purpose. Their purpose was no longer about living for this world, but learning to live for eternity. It was no longer about building their wealth or security, but building up the Kingdom of God.

Sure, they came with their own notions. We see evidence of this when Simon declares Jesus as the Messiah. Jesus says he will call him Peter. Then Jesus starts talking about going to Jerusalem to die. What a slap in the face. I’ve changed my life and purpose to help build a new Kingdom for God here in Jerusalem. Now, the one he promised to follow is going to die. Where’s the reward in that? A new name? Who cares about a name? Where is the kingdom?

After being put in check and after the resurrection. Peter stands as the leader uniting everyone else in the early church. He no longer even considered fishing, but was on mission to spread the promise and hope of Christ to the world. The full transformation may have taken three years, and it may have had a few bumps of misunderstanding. But, it all began with the commitment to put all else aside and follow Jesus in everything that he was.

What about us? Are we following Christ with all that we are? Are we abandoning our purpose and who we are for the new life Christ offers us in him? What is holding us back from committing fully to the call? Not a call to a church or committee, but a call to follow Christ into his ministry to the world in which He calls you.

Will you accept his call today?