These humble fishermen did not follow Jesus out of boredom. They
were hard working, industrious men. They also did not follow Him out of some
sense of discontent. They really did not have reason for discontent. The family
of James and John seem to have been doing quite well. Mark states that, when
called by Jesus, they left their father in the ship with the hired servants.
What about selfish ambition? Did they leave everything to follow Jesus out
of ambitious motives? Later in the gospels we do see the disciples display the
ugly human desire to become great, but not here. Ambition needs a temptation.
It will not join a cause that is obscure or struggling. Ambition usually
manifests itself when success is assured. Jesus’ ministry had not reached that
stage.
There really is only one explanation for why they followed Jesus.
Their hearts were ignited. Their heads were turned by the dream of a divine
Kingdom in Israel with Jesus of Nazareth as its King. That dream possessed them
and ruled their minds and shaped their destinies. It compelled them, like
Abraham, to leave their family and their home, and to go forth on what might
have appeared beforehand to be a fool’s errand. How wonderful for us that they
were possessed by the idea of this Kingdom! It was not the errand of fools that
they left their nets for. The Kingdom turned out to be as real as the promised
land although not in the way they had imagined.
These fishermen of Galilee did become fishers of men on the most
extensive scale and by the help of God, they gathered many souls to the church
and to salvation. In a sense, they are still casting their nets into the world
and by their testimony they continue to help multitudes become His disciples.
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