At once, this same Spirit pushed Jesus out into the wild. For forty wilderness days and nights he was tested by Satan. Wild animals were his companions, and angels took care of him.After John was arrested, Jesus went to Galilee preaching the Message of God: “Time’s up! God’s kingdom is here. Change your life and believe the Message.”
Passing along the beach of Lake Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew net-fishing. Fishing was their regular work. Jesus said to them, “Come with me. I’ll make a new kind of fisherman out of you. I’ll show you how to catch men and women instead of perch and bass.” They didn’t ask questions. They dropped their nets and followed.
A dozen yards or so down the beach, he saw the brothers James and John, Zebedee’s sons. They were in the boat, mending their fishnets. Right off, he made the same offer. Immediately, they left their father Zebedee, the boat, and the hired hands, and followed.
I was puzzling over this passage because we read previously that John was out in the “wild”(erness) where he’s baptising people. Then Jesus after he get’s baptised there is pushed by the Spirit into the “wild”(erness)… huh?
So I did a bit of reading around it and it looks like John was in the desert ‘region’ which was a pretty wild place, but then Jesus heads into the full blown hard-core desert.
Just wondered if that’s a good picture of the life we’re called to. We are to live as travellers/strangers in the wild palces all the time, but them there are particular seasons of much more intense pressure, temptation and preparation.
As an aside – once again the American translation of fishing nets leaves me with the slightly scary mental picture of the boys sitting there mending their sexy stockings!
Question – was it Simon and Andrew’s faith, or the power of Christ that led to them just dropping their “sexy stockings” and going of with Jesus?
I agree with Richard – I get very frustrated by Christians who moan constantly as if its their God Given right to live happy lives. Whenever any sort of difficulty comes they assume this is not normal and rail against it. Then there are the sort of Christians you love being around, quiet, thoughtful – usually excellent listeners. But when you get to know them there is or has been lots of pain and difficulty in their lives. I actually wonder if it is possible to grow in faith without trials? Have just finished “God on Mute” – all about seemingly unanswered prayer. Wonderful book and there is so much about these issues inside.
But I do admit when you are truly in the desert it is not a nice place to be……. even if you have the perspective to realise what God can do through it.
another thought, noticed “the hired hands” today.
I had always seen James and John, two of the fishermen disciples as fairly poor and near the bottom of the social ladder. But actually their dad owned a boat, and they had hired hands. They were pretty well off. Jesus called middle class businessmen.
Are you sure that that is just the American translation?? They weren’t transvestite middle class businessmen??
Does Jesus call people to be middle class businessmen? I guess I’m thinking in line with the Greenbelt theme, but do you think that God calls some people just to be really, really ordinary?
I think what I take from this is that, I too have always seen Simon and Andrew as right at the bottom rung, really poor, and this points out that it doesn’t matter WHERE our finances/social standing/educational achievements …. whatever ….. are at ….. we can be called to be disciples.
Anyway…… what’s more ordinary than a middle class businessman? Great – I don’t have to be either penniless and homeless OR rich and ready to make a great big gesture with all my money…… just little old me in the middle ….. unremarkable one way or the other. Salvation is still for me. Fab.