Mar 1:16-20
Here we read how Jesus called some of His first disciples. They
were ordinary fishermen, but Jesus told them to follow Him and He would make them fishers
of men.
They obeyed immediately when Jesus called them.
Jesus must be the first in our life. When He speaks, we must obey
immediately.
Peter was married but we don't read that he first went to find out
from his wife whether she would object if he followed Jesus. No, Jesus was more important
to him than his wife.
When Jesus called others to follow Him, one said, "Lord, let
me first go and bury my father." He had a valid excuse. But Jesus expected that he
would count Jesus more important than his father.
Others excuse themselves from following Jesus because of marriage, or possessions.
No, Jesus must be more important to you than your wife, children,
brother, sister, parents, lands or goods.
Jesus promised that any who forsake these things for His sake will
receive a hundred fold and inherit eternal life.
We must be determined by God's grace not to look to the left or
right but follow Him unreservedly.
When Jesus called these men, they were not fishers of men yet, but
He promised that He would make them into fishers of men, if they followed Him.
We also read how Jesus prepared His disciples for Calvary, His
death. He came for a purpose - to give His life for His people. He went to great pains to
prepare them for it, but what is heartbreaking is that they constantly were on the human,
carnal level, and could not comprehend it until it happened.
When the Lord Jesus spoke plainly to His disciples that He was
going to die Peter could not understand it and rebuked the Lord Jesus. But Jesus was very
straight and looking at the other disciples He rebuked Peter saying, "behind Me
satan, because you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of man." Even
after this matter, Peter still did not understand for he cut off the ear of one of the
people who came to arrest Jesus and then denied the Lord. The disciples did not want to
die and were fighting for life. When the things got tough and did not go according to
their way of thinking, and Jesus was arrested they all forsook the Lord and fled.
Peter first followed Jesus afar off and then he found himself in
the company of Jesus' enemies. Before long he had denied the Lord Jesus.
Peter wasn't prepared to die.
But praise God that when the cock crowed and Jesus' eyes met
Peter's, that he went out, wept bitterly and repented.
Jesus made it clear that to follow Him you will have to deny
yourself and lose your life. This is very difficult to man. Many want to follow Jesus and
even profess it with their mouths, but they are not prepared to fulfill the conditions.
You have to deny yourself and take up your cross daily. It is easy to do it once or twice
or for a while, but to take up the cross daily and die every day - that is where many
fail.
To many their great learning is a hindrance to them. They know how
things can be done better and cannot bow. They want to prove themselves right. But such
people cannot follow Jesus. You have to become the servant of all, and lose your life.
You may walk with Jesus, and then certain things happen which you
don't understand and you are disappointed. Beware lest you start to follow Jesus from a
distance. Do you still have your first love towards the Lord Jesus, or do you allow a bit
of the world to enter into your life? Do not let things enter which will dampen your first
love for the Lord. Stay close to Him, continually forsaking all for His sake.
