The Calling

Matthew 4:12-25

Introduction:

I remember what I was doing on the morning on September 11, 2001 - driving to get coffee on my way to work. I turned on the radio and heard unbelievably bad news - of planes crashing into the World Trade Center Towers.

My initial reaction was one of great dread - what does this mean to our world, our country, my self and my family. Dread gave way to fear - how could the enemy win such a huge victory against a nation whose currency reads "In God We Trust."

That bad news, though, has been turned to great good. Churches all over the nation report surging attendance - signs appeared overnight saying "God bless America" - and people are thinking and talking about facing death - and their own judgment like never before.

God often uses the ashes of tragedy as the fertilizer for greater victory.

That's what we see today - in the just budding ministry of Jesus Christ - an event with tragic consequences - that the Father uses as an opportunity to even greater things.

It starts with a startling statement:

Verses 12 - 16


12 When Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, he returned to Galilee. 13 Leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum, which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali- 14 to fulfill what was said through the prophet Isaiah:

15 "Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the way to the sea, along the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles- 16 the people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned."

Jesus has now lived in three places, all prophesied. If you hadn't known, you would have been confused by the prophesies. Only the real life of Jesus can make sense of them. So too with us, if God were to reveal exactly where'd you be when you would either be confused or frightened. Better to trust the little He gives us than ask for the big picture.

Matthew doesn't detail the imprisonment of John - but we know what happened. John was complaining that Herod Antipas, the son of Herod the Great (of the Wise Men fame) had married his niece, formerly his brother's wife. We know later that Herod beheaded John. This became a signal for Jesus to move from Nazareth, his home town, to Galilee.

Zebulun and Naphtali were two tribes of Israel that had settled the region around the Sea of Galilee. It's called "Galilee of the Gentiles" because Assyria deported the Jews who lived there and replaced them with pagans. Jews had more recently moved back into the area, but the Galilee region was surrounded by Greek towns.

Why Galilee? Why not Jerusalem - the center of religious and political life in the land?

Scholars suggest several reasons - it was farther away from the intense Pharasitical opposition in Nazareth, and Capernaum was a large city so Jesus' message could spread quickly.

I like another option - Capernaum and the area was home to at least four of Jesus' disciples. We'll see Him approach these men in a moment. It was also the home to Matthew - the author of this book. I like this because Jesus came to where the men he wanted lived. Do you know that Jesus is coming to where you live and work and play? He wants to challenge you to move closer to Him - and we'll talk more about that in a moment - but He's not far off in some seminary or remote part of the earth - He's right here in your town in your office in your home - wanting to work with what you have to further His kingdom.

Something else - do you notice that Jesus didn't start His ministry until John was out of the way? Even though John and Jesus knew that Jesus was the main guy - Jesus didn't get in John's way.

Jesus is a gentleman. In chapter 11 Jesus will say one of the few statements about Himself - saying "I am gentle and lowly at heart." He is so considerate that He waited for John's exit so He could enter the stage - and pick up right where John left off, saying the same words.

Now for us - I want to suggest to you that we need to be careful when we are making decisions. Jesus is such a gentleman that if you want to do something badly enough He'll say okay - even if that thing is not the best for you or the kingdom. And, yes, He'll work it for good - but we need to watch out, ask yourself - how much of this is me wanting something, and how much is it Jesus telling me to move ahead.

This also speaks to how we treat other people and their calling. Maybe you are really good at something - when you come on the scene do you expect everyone to fall on their faces in awe of your talent? Jesus didn't.

Verse 17

17 From that time on Jesus began to preach, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near."

It's interesting that Jesus first message was the exact same as John's. It is a good transition - and has double meaning. Jesus is the kingdom that is near.

We gloss over this - but the message is still valid. We need to repent. It means: to think differently. We need to think differently about sin. For those of you pre-Christians out there, you might think of sin as this religious word that has no meaning in our pluralistic society.

Think again. Sin is anything that's not God. Sin is missing the mark of God's character. Sin or anything that is sinful cannot survive in God's presence. It isn't sin vs. God - God is good - and Lucifer brought sin into the world which is rebellion against God and focus on self - then Adam and Eve brought that sin into all of our lives - infecting us and removing us from being able to be with God. God will remove sin one day, and consign it to outer darkness - is that where you want to go?

His kingdom is very near - are you ready for Him to come back?

We Christians need to change our attitude about sin as well. I think as we see the world around us declining morally, we just lower the bar of what is acceptable. Sin leads to death - it may not be ultimate death which is separation from God - but it destroys and kills something in us: fellowship, effectiveness, joy. Repent and change your mind - focusing on God, not on yourself.

Next we see Jesus ask four men to change not only their minds, but their entire lives.

Verses 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 make you fishers of men." 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.
The Sea of Galilee is located 650 feet below sea level. It's a large lake - 150 feet deep. Fishing was the main industry for the about 30 towns that surrounded the lake, which itself was surrounded by hills. Capernaum was the largest.

This wasn't likely these men's first encounter with Jesus - John's gospel tells us that they were disciples of John the Baptist.

Turn to Luke 5:1-11. The story details what happened when Jesus showed up.

Basically their encounter with Jesus is like ours:

1. You meet Him - and wonder who He is (saw Him with John)
2. You experience Him - a little of His power or what He can do if you let Him into your life or boat (fish)
3. He invites you - offering to take what you have and make it really worth something (fishers of men)
4. You have a choice (they immediately left their boats)

There always is a choice at some point that we have to make - follow, or keep doing what we're doing. It was not a snap decision, it was reasoned and came about from experience. Are you open to knowing more about the Lord and Him knowing you - and taking you and using you? How do we respond when the call comes?

After the response came the real learning - the real discipling - as these men saw what Jesus was really about - not catching fish but healing men.

Verses 23 - 25

23 Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. 24 News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed, and he healed them. 25 Large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea and the region across the Jordan followed him.

A little background. Synagogues were created during the time of the exile because the Jews could no longer go to the Temple. Wherever ten Jewish families lived there could be a synagogue. The leader was more an administrator than teacher. On Sabbath it was a place for the Jewish to gather - during the week it was a school.

Visiting rabbis like Jesus would be welcomed to teach. There were two types - teaching or exposition, which was done while seated, and preaching or exhortation, which was done standing. But Jesus was no ordinary rabbi - but one that did more than speak, He acted and brought healing.

Why did Jesus do miracles? Was it His primary mission? No. That was to die for the people.

Miracles proved that He was the Messiah - but when demanded by the religious leaders He refused. The only sign He would give is the sign of Jonah - that is, His death, burial, and resurrection.

Jesus, I think, performed miracles because He had compassion - and as the Creator, He wanted to return His creation to wholeness, rescue them from the enemy, and reduce suffering.

Luke's gospel tells us that during this time Jesus went to Nazareth and read a part of Isaiah's book to that synagogue. He said:

Luke 4:18-19 "The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to release the oppressed,
19 to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."

I don't think it was just spiritual release that Jesus is talking about - but He literally released prisoners kept in a demonic dungeon, healed the lame and the blind and released the oppressed.

He is a loving God - and walking among the people who had been bullied for centuries by Satan, He wanted healing.

Now does that mean He healed everyone? No. Does He heal everyone today? No. But just because you won't receive healing doesn't mean the God doesn't love you. This is His character so if things don't work out the way you want, then know God has something better in store.

Conclusion

So what do we learn from this section?

1. Flashlights shine better at night. That's why we often find ourselves surrounded by those who are in spiritual darkness. And that's why we shouldn't just put ourselves in places with other flashlights. God will shine out of you wherever you are.

2. When it seems like we are losing, look for God to move in greater ways. John going to prison could have been looked upon as a major defeat - but it gave Jesus the opportunity to move out publicly. Maybe something in your life or in another's hasn't gone right - and you feel defeated. Take heart - remember Elishah and the servant - the servant thought all was over because an enemy army had surrounded them - but in reality a much more powerful army of angels was invisibly surrounding the enemy.

3. We make Christianity more complicated than it really is. Jesus began His ministry by sharing God's truth, inviting others to come along, then watching the Holy Spirit work in people's lives. That's just what we have the opportunity to do today. Being a Christian isn't complicated - nor is ministry - God wants to fill us in order to make us like Him, then take that character out where it will encounter other people who need the same healing.