Matthew 4: First Steps (4)
Pray Psalm 110.5-7.
The Lord is at Your right hand;
He shall execute kings in the day of His wrath.
He shall judge among the nations,
He shall fill the places with dead bodies,
He shall execute the heads of many countries.
He shall drink of the brook by the wayside;
Therefore He shall lift up the head.
Sing Psalm 110.5-7.
(Aurelia: The Church’s One Foundation)
The Lord is at Your right hand to execute His wrath,
and judge all kings and all lands—doomed sinners in His path.
Then, all His foes defeated, He takes His hard-won rest,
in glorious triumph seated with us, redeemed and blessed.
Read Matthew 4.12-22; meditate on verses 21, 22.
What were they doing when Jesus called them? Why do we need to know this?
Prepare.
1. Who were the next disciples to be called?
2. How did they respond to Jesus?
Meditate.
In calling these first disciples, Jesus was manifesting both the power and the certainty of His Word. When Jesus calls His chosen ones, they drop whatever they’re doing and follow Him. James and John could no more resist that powerful call than could Andrew and Peter.
What about us? Paul says God has called us to His Kingdom and glory (1 Thess. 2.12). The Kingdom of God is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit, Who generates in us power to be witnesses for our Lord Jesus Christ (Rom. 14.17, 18; 1 Cor. 4.20; Acts 1.8). Is this the defining motif of our lives? Are we, first and foremost, seekers of the Kingdom of God and His righteousness (Matt. 6.33)?
I find interesting Matthew’s mention of what James and John were doing. They were “mending” nets. They knew what good nets looked like and how to repair them. That Greek word for “mending” is also used in Ephesians 4.11 and 12, “for the ‘mending’ of the saints” so we, like strong nets, can do our proper work.
The first disciples left home, family, and work to follow Jesus. In a certain sense, we must all be prepared to do the same. God has spoken His Word over us; our duty is to hear and obey. James and John, like Andrew and Peter, must have known Jesus, or heard Him preaching the Kingdom (v. 17). When He called them, He and His message were irresistible. They wanted to be with Him. They wanted to enter that Kingdom. They gave up everything for that which they barely understood, and Him Whom they scarcely knew. But in Jesus they glimpsed something eternal, beautiful, good, and true, and they devoted themselves to obtaining it, whatever the cost.
Treasure Old and New: Matthew 13.52; Psalm 119.162
Jesus’ calling of His band of twelve has the rhythm of a good children’s book, akin to We’re Going on a Bear Hunt or The Hungry, Hungry Caterpillar. Words and sentences added methodically for emphasis.
When Jesus called Peter and Andrew they left their nets (Matt. 4.20).
When Jesus called James and John they left their nets, mending, boat, and father (Matt. 4.21, 22).
And Matthew, when we get to his calling, will leave his tax office, greed, and graft (Matt. 9.9).
There is a momentum to everything that Jesus did.
Even when He chose us.
“Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by your name;
you are Mine” (Is. 43.1).
“Repent, and let every one of you be baptized
in the Name of Jesus Christ
for the remission of sins; and
you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
For the promise is to you and to your children, and
to all who are afar off,
as many as the Lord our God will call” (Acts 2.38, 39).
Jesus called fishermen—those specialized in catching.
He called those who specialized in mending.
He called businessmen.
He called all kinds of people to follow Him.
And leave all else behind.
“Follow Me” Jesus said; and choose Me above all else.
What should Judas have left behind, and didn’t?
For reflection
1. From what did Jesus call you to Himself? What did you leave behind?
2. How has Jesus been “mending” you for the work He has appointed for you?
3. Whom has He used in your life to “mend” you?
But note both their faith and their obedience. For though they were in the midst of their work (and you know how time-consuming a chore fishing is), when they heard his command they did not delay or procrastinate. They did not say, “Let us return home, and talk things over with our family.” Instead, “they left everything behind and followed,” even as Elisha did when he followed Elijah. For Christ seeks this kind of obedience from us, such that we delay not even for a moment, though something absolutely most necessary should vehemently press in on us. John Chrysostom (344-407), The Gospel of Matthew, Homily 14.2
Pray Psalm 110.1-4.
Jesus rules as King at the Father’s right hand, and we are those He sends out each day like the refreshing morning dew. Whom will the Lord refresh through you today? How will you serve the progress of His Kingdom in your calling?
Sing Psalm 110.1-4.
(Aurelia: The Church’s One Foundation)
“Sit by Me at My right hand,” the LORD says to my Lord,
“until I make Your foot stand on all who hate Your Word.”
The LORD sends strength from Zion: “Rule all Your enemies.”
While those who Him rely on go forth their LORD to please.
Your people in Your power, arrayed in holiness,
like dew of morning’s hour shall serve like youth refreshed.
The LORD has sworn and never will He His promise check:
“You are a priest forever after Melchizedek.”
T. M. and Susie Moore
If you have found this meditation helpful, take a moment to give thanks to God. Then share what you learned with a friend. This is how the grace of God spreads (2 Cor. 4.15).
Other columns of interest: This week: The Read Moore podcast continues readings from If Men Will Pray. Our Crosfigell teaching letter has begun a new series on the state of the Church in Europe at the time of the Celtic Revival. The ReVision column is studying the Church and why we need it. Check out our other excellent writers. Click here to see all the other columns and writers available to you.
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Except as indicated, all Scriptures are taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter.
