The Call
Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. Matt. 4:19
The call that Jesus issues is not the one that he repeats throughout his ministry to all men, that general call to respond to his preaching by repenting and embracing God. Rather, this is a specific call to specific people. Later he will point out to them that they did not choose him, but he chose them. All are called, but these are called out.
Jesus connects with Simon and Andrew in two ways. Familiarity with the concept of fishing allows him to direct their attention on the plan he has for them in a practical way. They know how to fish; they know the purpose of the net, the condition it has to be in, the seasons that are more productive than others, the weight of the fish when the net is full, the need to deal with your catch before it spoils - on and on. But Jesus also points out something else about fishing - it is a good living, but not eternal. Jesus calls men who are faithful in their business, but when he calls, he calls them from it. Priorities have to change.
There is much we can learn from the principles of successful fishing that we can apply to the spiritual harvest. But the beginning of Jesus' training for these men is to follow him. Hear him, travel with him, see the things that are important to him, see his power and authority. Their work is not collect men, but to bring them to Christ. How can they bring them to one whom they do not know. Priority one, therefore, is to learn Christ. He that is called to minister, is first called to know.
One cannot read this text (Matt. 4:18-25) and not be impressed with the immediate response by these men to the call. Straightway and immediately are the words used to describe their following of Christ at his call. I wish I knew what brings about the mentality that is ready and willing to follow when they hear Christ's call! Does it seem likely today that someone would have such a response? Are we more attached to the things of the world than they were? Or, were they just like us, but when in the presence of Jesus, overwhelmed by his persona? It is odd that scripture is silent on this subject - it simply states that they followed him - right NOW! No added blessing for it. No bonus or early bird special.
Jesus preached the gospel of the kingdom - repent, the kingdom of God is at hand. Today when we read that he proclaimed the gospel fo the kingdom, we look at it with added information about the gospel. Paul, in I Cor 15, states that the gospel is the message of Christ's birth, death and resurrection. And that is the assumption we generally have when we see the word "gospel".
However, Jesus has not yet died. At this time, his crucifiction is still years ahead. To preach the gospel as we understand it, would not be understood at all by his hearers. So what was the gospel he proclaimed? It was the gospel of the kingdom; the good news of the sovereignty of God and its impact on those who submit themselves to his rule.
We are about to embark on a course study of this gospel - the gospel of the kingdom - as Matthew records the life of the King of kings. The book will end with the commissioning of those who have understood and experienced his reign in their lives, to go and make disciples everywhere.
I hope that you are ready for his call. Jesus is still at work in the world around us, and he performs his work of calling men and women to the kingdom though yielded people. If you hear the call today, will you immediately obey? I pray that would be so, and not for you alone. I, too, desire to be a willing and immediate follower at his call. -dave
The devil now looks (Matt. 4:8) to an attempt to trap Jesus by his own words. From a high point of observation, he looks out at all the kingdoms of men and their glory. I love flying in to cities like Philly or Dallas or Chicago at night. Their skyline is incredible. The lights of the streets make a great grid-work of shining jewels against a black velvet background. The high buildings with their windows lit stand out from the ground, monuments to the architectural prowess of man. The kingdoms of man are truly impressive, by any earthly standard. Hmm. There's the problem. I don't know what was going on in the devil's head when he tried to tempt Jesus, the Son of God, Maker of Heaven and Earth, with earthly kingdoms. Yeah, they have shiny lights, but who made the light?
Anyway, the ploy goes like this. "Jesus, you've been preaching about the kingdom of God at hand - well, have I got good news for you! I can advance your kingdom efforts immediately - I'm your guy. Well, actually, I want to be your god!"
Jesus makes a less-than-subtle change in his response to the Tempter. He says, before quoting scripture, "Be gone!"
James 4:7 tells us, "Resist the devil, and he will flee from us." Jesus demonstrates this principle before James even writes it. The efforts of the Tempter have been shown for what they are. When he wants Jesus to bow down and worship him, he tips his hand - he wants to displace God. He doesn't want to help Jesus establish who he is before the nations. He doesn't want to have Jesus establish his kingdom. He doesn't even want Jesus fed. He wants Jesus to act like Esau and, for his own personal comfort and ease, sell his birthright.
"Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him." One of the great principle of the Christian life is demonstrated here. On the other side of a temptation is a blessing. Whenever you are getting ready to do a work for God, and you have made a commitment to give him your all, temptation will come. It will take real faith and perseverance to come out shining on the other side. But if these things be in you and abound, they make you that you will neither be barren nor unfruitful in your knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. Stay with it, and be blessed. That blessing is just a little further on, and its got your name on it.
Hallelujah!
Continuing in Matthew 4, we find that the devil doesn't skip a beat. Stopped in his first attempt by Jesus' counter-punch with scripture, the Tempter now changes his tact by abusing scripture. It is like he is saying, "Okay, if you want to refer to scripture, I'll show you one that fits my purposes."
Sometimes we are of the opinion that if we know the scriptures, and are familiar with where they are and what they are generally talking about, we are immune from the devil's wiles. But here is a truth that we need to grasp. Scripture is no replacement for relationship. As important as it is, the scriptures are one generation away from the source. When you spend time with God, and get to know him in a deeply personal way through prayer - heart to heart communication of your inmost being - you will discover Him. Not just about him and his plan for mankind, but you will discover and increasingly understand Him!
The tempter knows the scripture. He quotes from Ps 91:11,12, and calls Jesus to put the promises of God to the test. This psalm is about the relationship that God has with his children, and the devil correctly applies the principle of the protection that God has promised those that love him. So what's the problem? The problem is that of presumption. Men do that a lot, you know. Because God offers us a promise of protection, we choose to do foolish things without concern for the potentially bad outcomes. We need to use the brains we have been given, and trust God for the things that are out of our control. This is not being presumption, but faithful: faithful to use what he has given me, and full of faith in him for all else.
Jesus answered, "Again it is written, You shall not put the Lord your God to the test." The proper use of scripture requires knowing, not just scripture, but the author of it. Your view and use of the scriptures will be in keeping with the intent of God and the ways of God.
Today we begin looking at Matthew 4, the record of Christ's encounter with the devil in the wilderness. The Tempter is the name given the devil here. He goes by many other names - Lucifer, Satan, the accuser of the brethren, the prince of this world, the deceiver... The names give you a sense of his work, his preoccupation. He exists for the purpose of hindering the work of God, thwarting the plan of God. It is no surprise that as soon as Jesus began his public ministry, as soon as he was publicly introduced as the One of whom the prophets spoke, that the tempter made his entrance.
Jesus has just completed a fast of 40 days. This is incredibly arduous. This is not the Divine who has fasted for 40 days; this is the Son of Man. We may likely forget that he is a man here. We think of him doing something supernatural because he is fully God and fully man, so to be able to go 40 days in fasting is no big deal - but we would be wrong to so think. Philippians 2 describes his condition as being fashioned as a man in true humility. What humility would it be if he were a man with supernatural abilities, exempting him from the pain of humanity? Hebrews tells us that he was in every way tested "like as are we", yet without sin. The enormity of what has just taken place should not be passed over lightly. Christ has been preparing himself for a short life of ministry, a blink of an eye in time, to communicate God's message and plan for mankind in person. Now, he is ready!
The Tempter wastes no time or words - he addresses the greatest weakness of the hour. Jesus is hungry; he is thirsty. "If you are the Son of God, command these stones that they become bread." Satan is not a complicated strategist. Jesus is hungry and weak and has a big task that only he can fulfill in front of him. If he is the one he says he is, then prove it - meet your own very real need with the power that is available to you.
Jesus answered, "It is written, man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God." In our comfort driven society, it is incomprenhensible that food would not be on the forefront of his thinking at this moment. But here is where the devil lacks understanding. Jesus has not been sitting idle while he was fasting. He has been in communication with God. You could say that while he was fasting from food, he was feasting with God. Later, John records that Jesus states that all that he taught men came from what God said to him - his words are not his own. Jesus has been sustained by the Word. He could echo Job, who said "I have esteemed thy word more than my necessary meat!"
