The Irresistible Call

Synoptic Gospels 4: Lord and Lamb (2)

Pray Psalm 28.8, 9.
The LORD is their strength,
And He is the saving refuge of His anointed.
Save Your people,
And bless Your inheritance;
Shepherd them also,
And bear them up forever.

Sing Psalm 28.8, 9.
(Angel’s Story: O Jesus, I Have Promised)
Our strength are You, O Savior, our strong defense and sure.
Anointed with Your favor, we rest in You secure.
Save us, and bless us, Jesus, upon us turn Your face.
With shepherd’s care, LORD, keep us forever in Your grace.

Read Matthew 4.18-22; Mark 1.16-20; Luke 5.1-11; meditate on Luke 5.1-11.

Preparation
1. What did Jesus tell Peter (Simon) to do?

2. How did he respond to Jesus?

Meditation
In the face of Jesus’ teaching, power, and Person, Peter saw his unworthiness and sin, and he knew he was not fit to be in Jesus’ Presence. This is precisely when Jesus called him to be His friend and follower.

This was now the third time Jesus called Peter to follow Him. The first instance was in John 1, when Andrew brought his brother to Jesus, Who promptly changed his name. The second was in Matthew 4, when Jesus was in Galilee and called Andrew, James, John, and Peter to follow Him. They obeyed, left their fishing, and took up being disciples of Jesus.

But Peter wasn’t quite there yet, and Jesus knew it. What was holding him back from full and unqualified obedience? Pride? Fear? The comfort of familiar ways? We don’t know, but Jesus knew He and Peter needed a personal moment together, and this came in our passage for today.

Jesus’ call to Peter was to forsake everything and follow Him. Peter thus far had sort of thought about that forsaking thing, and he might have still been thinking about whether he should cash in his fishing business to follow this itinerate prophet. When Peter saw the power of Jesus’ Word—“Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch” (v. 4)—even though his experience told him that wasn’t likely (v. 5), he obeyed. “And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking” (v. 6).

This demonstration of the power of Jesus’ Word was the final stage in His call of Peter, who confessed his unworthiness to follow such a holy and mighty Savior: “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord” (v. 8). Peter had come to see Jesus as Lord, and he despised his sin, heard the precious promise of the Lord—“From now on you will catch men” (v. 10)—and forsook everything—his fishing, doubts, fears, and rational objections. The Word of the Lord called Peter, and just as surely, He has called you and me.

Treasure Old and New: Matthew 13.52; Psalm 119.162
“He called them, and immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him” (Matt. 4.21, 22).
“They immediately left their nets and followed Him…they went after Him” (Mk. 1.18, 20).
“So when they had brought their boats to land, they forsook all and followed Him” (Lk. 5.11).

There is a determination involved here—a sincere turning away from one thing and purposefully turning toward another. Immediately. And never turning back.

Jesus warned against turning back. “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God” (Lk. 9.620. “Remember Lot’s wife” (Lk. 17.32). Yes, Jesus went there. He spoke to what they were all thinking. Things did not go well for Mrs. Lot and her looking back. She was permanently silenced (Gen. 19.26) for her double mindedness. Steering clear of that same foible is advisable for us.

“The Word of the Lord called Peter, and just as surely, He has called you and me.”
We, too, should follow Him with the same intentionality—immediately and forsaking all.

“I have set the LORD always before me…” (Ps. 16.8).
“I have inclined my heart to perform Your statutes forever
to the very end” (Ps. 119.112).

“If anyone desires to come after Me, 
let him deny himself, 
and take up his cross daily, 
and follow Me” (Lk. 9.23).

“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. 
And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; 
neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand” (Jn. 10.27, 28).

“…forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 3.13, 14).

The Irresistible Call of Jesus Christ on my life—
Were the whole realm of nature mine, 
That were a present far too small;
Love so amazing, so divine, 
Demands my soul, my life, my all.
(Isaac Watts, 1707)

Reflection
1. What are some things you can do to keep pressing forward in the life of faith?

2. How can you encourage your fellow believers to keep looking forward in faith?

3. What will following Jesus’ call look like for you today?

These fishermen forsook all, and followed Jesus, when their calling prospered. When riches increase, and we are tempted to set our hearts upon them, then to quit them for Christ is thankworthy. Matthew Henry (1662-1714), Commentary on Luke 5.1-11

Pray Psalm 28.1-7.
Thank and praise the Lord for calling you—to Himself, to be His ambassador, and to bring the Good News of the Kingdom throughout your Personal Mission Field. Pray for the strength and grace you will need for this day’s “fishing”.

Sing Psalm 28.1-7.
(Angel’s Story: O Jesus, I Have Promised)
I cry to You, our Savior, O, be not deaf to me!
LORD, speak to me with favor, lest I should dying be.
Hear now my supplications when for Your help I cry.
Receive these, my oblations, before Your throne on high.

LORD, count me not among those who walk in sinful ways.
With words of peace their tongue glows while evil fills their days.
Your works they disregard, LORD, while evil fills their hands.
Destroy them by Your Word, LORD, and let them no more stand.

Blessed be the Name of Jesus, for He will hear our prayer.
His strength protects and shields us with mercy and with care.
In You our heart rejoices; You help us by Your Word.
To You we raise our voices to praise and thank You, LORD.

T. M. and Susie Moore

If you have found this meditation helpful, take a moment and 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: Our Read Moore podcast is concentrating on praying the psalms to seek revival—why we should and what we might expect. In our twice-weekly Crosfigell column we have begun a new series on Brendan, called “The Navigator.” Why was he called that? Join us and find out. Our current ReVision series, “Pray for Your Church”, enters the home stretch now by leading us to pray for our church’s impact. And new in our bookstore, our book, The Ongoing Work of Christ shows us how the book of Acts provides a template and footprint for all who take up the work of building Jesus’ Church.

And please prayerfully consider supporting The Fellowship of Ailbe with your prayers and gifts. You can contribute online, via PayPal or Anedot, or by sending a gift to The Fellowship of Ailbe, P. O. Box 8213, Essex, VT 05451.

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. For sources of all quotations, see the weekly PDF of this study. All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter.