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Thursday, June 30, 2022

"Brief Devotions For Busy Lives" by Rev. Dr. Mary Johnson: Matthew 4:18-22

 June 30

"As he was walking along the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (called Peter) and Andrew. They were throwing a net into the sea because they were fishermen. Jesus said to them, “Come, follow me! I will teach you how to catch people instead of fish.” They immediately left their nets and followed him. As Jesus went on, he saw two other brothers, James and John, the sons of Zebedee. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee preparing their nets to go fishing. He called them, and they immediately left the boat and their father and followed Jesus." -Matthew 4:18-22 (GW)

June is a great month for fishing but the kind of fishing Matthew describes was not our relaxing, serene, line-fishing. It was a grueling vocation using circular nets with heavy weights around their perimeter. Fishing in Galilee was labor intensive and involved long hours, and often little results. Profit margins were thin because of heavy Roman taxes. Equipment used in fishing businesses included expensive specialized boats and nets. For Peter, Andrew, James, and John to immediately leave their nets and follow Jesus as disciples is a shocking statement in today's scripture. The decision of these struggling fishermen to give up all they owned was one that cost them dearly financially and personally. Yet they didn't make excuses about why it was impossible or get emotionally entangled in the financial values of their nets and what could happen to their ability to ever earn a living again. When they "followed Jesus" it was not only a courageous physical action, but a spiritual/emotional commitment to follow him as their guiding priority in life.

When Jesus told Peter and Andrew to leave their fishing business and begin fishing "for people" by helping others find God, he was calling them away from a productive trade to be productive spiritually. We are all called to fish for souls. If we share the Good News of Jesus, we will be able to draw those around us to Christ like fishermen who pull fish into our boats with spiritual nets. James, John, Peter, and Andrew, were the first disciples Jesus called and motivated to immediately leave their old life behind for greater opportunities ahead. They didn't make excuses about why it wasn't possible. Are we still able to leave our nets of fear, insecurity, and indecision behind to follow Jesus today? Even if difficult, it is still more than worth it! Your rewards will be infinite and eternal.

Prayer: Jesus, Grant me the courage to follow you always. Amen.

Meditation For The Day: God's fishing nets are priceless.

Brief Devotions For Busy Lives: Daily Spring Renewal Paperback – February 21, 2017, by Rev. Dr. Mary Johnson (Author)

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