What Does It Mean to Follow Jesus? - Matthew 4:18-22

Jesus Calls His First Disciples

18 As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 

This is not the first time that Peter and Andrew had met Jesus for we know from John 1:35-42 about the disciples' previous encounter with Jesus and how they became believers in Him. 

35 The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. 36 When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!” 37 When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. 38 Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, “What do you want?” They said, “Rabbi” (which means “Teacher”), “where are you staying?” 39 “Come,” he replied, “and you will see.” So they went and saw where he was staying, and they spent that day with him. It was about four in the afternoon. 40 Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. 41 The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ). 42 And he brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas” (which, when translated, is Peter).

19 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” 

These words "follow me" were customary for rabbi's who called people to follow their teaching and way of life.  Andrew it seems was a disciple of John the Baptist before he met Jesus. Though Jesus had called them to be his disdiples in John 1, now Jesus was calling them to leave their occupation and follow him.  

Jesus took what they were doing for a living, fishing, and invited them to fish for people.  Though there was and is nothing wrong with being a fisherman as it was a very stable and profitable job, Jesus had a bigger vision for their lives.  Nonetheless it is observable in scripture that God often calls people who are busy at good jobs.

God usually calls people as they are busy doing something. Jesus called the apostles as they were casting a net into the sea or mending their nets. “They were busy in a lawful occupation when he called them to be ministers: our Lord does not call idlers but fishers.” (Spurgeon)

· Saul was looking for his father’s donkeys.

· David was keeping his father’s sheep.

· The shepherds were guarding their flocks.

· Amos was farming in Tekoa.

· Matthew was working at the tax collector’s table.

· Moses was tending his father-in-law’s flock.

· Gideon was threshing wheat. (Guzik)

It is also to be noted that sometimes the skills one had in a previous occupation can be a means of income even when Jesus has called you to re-locate or serve him full time.  I.e. Paul was a tentmaker, and though he became the greatest apostle the world has ever known, he still used his tentmaking skills to provide for himself.  

20 At once they left their nets and followed him.

It is not lost on us how quickly the disciples made up their minds to follow Jesus. Following Jesus usually calls us to leave something behind such as an old way of life, a home, or occupation without hesitation. For example: 

The Samaritan woman left her pitcher, Matthew left his tax table, and blind Bartimaeus left his cloak to follow Jesus. (Guzik)

21 Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, 

Jesus went on to call another set of brothers who were also fishermen. We see four of the twelve original apostles, were ordinary men in ordinary occupations.  They were the blue collar workers of our day.  Jesus didn't necessarily go for the elite and sophisticated, but ordinary people like you and me.  

He went not to Herod's court, not to Jerusalem, among the chief priests and the elders, but to the sea of Galilee, among the fishermen. The same power which called Peter and Andrew, could have wrought upon Annas and Caiaphas, for with God nothing is impossible. But Christ chooses the foolish things of the world to confound the wise. (Henry)

22 and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.

James and John exhibit the same response as Peter and Andrew.  When Jesus calls us to do something there is no time like the present to go for it. 

What has following Jesus meant in your life?  What have you had to give up to follow Jesus? What did you gain? Might he be asking you to give up something now in order to serve him more effectively?  Though the four fisherman all left their livelihood to follow Jesus and become his apostles', the more likely scenario is that God will use you to be his disciple in the neighborhood you live, with the friends you currently have and in the workplace you currently are employed at.  

The mission we all have in life is to "fish for people".  That is to lead someone to Christ and be an example of following Him.